Whatever industry you work in, the chances are that your technology business faces many of the same issues that others encounter in different sectors. Talking about common obstacles with your peers in other companies can be a fantastic way to learn and develop, which is why Cambridge Network’s Learning Collaboration peer groups are so effective.
One such group, the Technology and Innovation Leaders group, is aimed exclusively at senior managers responsible for leading the technology and innovation strategy of their organisations. Its aim is to enable people from across different technology areas to meet regularly and form a close-knit cross-sector forum to promote knowledge-sharing and collaborative learning.
This invitation-only group was initially founded in 2011 in partnership with BP and other companies, and over the years has had some prestigious names among its members – ARM, BP, Carl Zeiss, Domino, Dyson, JDR Cables, Johnson Matthey, Merck Sharp + Dohme, Schlumberger, Royal Society of Chemistry, TWI and Xaar, to name a few.
The group meets quarterly** to exchange facilitated insight, perspective and experiences around topics suggested by the group. Sessions are hosted by group members, who outline their ways of working, their challenges and how their industry works. Where possible, these incorporate a tour of facilities, demonstrations of technology and an introduction to the host company’s culture – offering insight into their current practices and the latest technology innovations and potential disruptions in their field.
This year’s sessions kick off on Wednesday March 18th at Xaar, with presentations and discussion centred on a topic chosen by the group: “Best practice approach to the defence of IP, challenging what is not novel; IP & Patent Mapping.” Speakers include Xaar, ARM and Cambridge University’s Institute for Manufacturing. As usual, the session will be preceded by a dinner for the group, to be held at Quy Mill Hotel on Tuesday 17th March. Further sessions in 2015 are planned to take place at TWI, Domino Printing and Carl Zeiss.
Feedback from past events includes:
"As ever, a good investment in time. Good mixture of presentations, tour and interactive sessions"
"Excellent tour and discussions"
".. informative and inspirational"
"Interesting day, good to hear common challenges but diverse solutions"
"Group workshops and team discussions brought out some key characteristics and positive actions that I can take back to the office"
Cost of attendance is £450 (+VAT) per delegate, per session, or annual membership is £2250 (+VAT) for up to two delegates per organisation, per session.
Membership of the Technology and Innovation Leaders peer learning group is open, but places are limited. If you are interested in attending, please contact Emma Stewart in the first instance.
**Past sessions have included
| Venue | Topic | Content |
| Unilever | 'Disruptive technology- what not to do' | Presentation and tour by Unilever, plus presentations by Dyson & BP |
| ARM | Leadership and creating innovative teams | Presentation and tour by ARM, plus presentations by Domino, Schlumberger and RSC |
| Johnson Matthey | “Manufacturing Excellence” & China R&D | Presentation and tour of CAT facility by JM. Presentations by BP re working in China |
| BP, Sunbury-on-Thames | Capability Management, Corporate Knowledge Management | Presentation by BP and drill-sim demo. Additional presentations by Domino, Xaar and Schlumberger. |
| Dyson | Valuing technology | How to communicate and demonstrate the value of technology, internally/externally. |
| PA Consulting | Disruptive Technologies | Presentation from PA Consulting: Presentations from members: How do you encourage and recognise disruptive innovation? |
| TWI, Cambridge | Experiences in Open Innovation and EU Funding | Presentations: BP, Pfizer, PA, Rolls Royce, The Science Business and TWI. |
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