Regional Innovation: Strategic Development Community Based Innovation in the Northern Inland Region of NSW

Abstract

In this innovation; strategic development project, professionals from the University of New England and Penn State University formed the core of a team that investigated and stimulated innovation within the Northern Inland region of NSW. During the investigation the team grew to ultimately include participant individuals from private business, government organisations and private citizens from the region. Through direct engagement the participants combined with the investigation team to explore and stimulate the potential and opportunity for enhancing innovation within the region. The concept of Intentional Innovation Communities (IICs) was the innovation framework that underpinned this project. IICs are co-created structures with the sole purpose of intentionally innovating and focused on achieving the realisation of ideas and transfer of knowledge into actions with desirable consequence. The consequence of an IIC is realised through idea creation, selection and implementation, resulting in improved prosperity of the community, region, business or group. The IIC promotes individual creativity and is based on trust, collegiality and the open sharing of ideas. The model facilitates innovation by providing a mechanism utilising indigenous tacit knowledge relevant to the community context. In this project, in 6 months we ran a series of 11 workshops, 4 innovation seminars, 5 interviews and 4 reporting or strategic/participant driven meetings. In total, no less than 90 individuals participated in workshops, held in Armidale, Tamworth, Narrabri, Moree and Bingara. The project aim was to identify barriers to innovation and opportunities for innovation within the region. Our intention was to exchange knowledge on innovation, cocreate a regional contextual understanding of innovation capability and develop a model for achieving innovation.