A series of regional community workshops held around northern NSW in July and August has revealed the strong potential within those communities for the development of an “innovation culture” that leads to action.

Some of the ideas for innovation that emerged from the workshops involve linking with the National Broadband Network to develop business opportunities, capturing opportunities arising from mining activity, developing a regional approach to waste management, and developing and promoting “cultural hubs” with a focus on the music and creative arts strengths of the region – particularly Armidale and Tamworth. They address issues such as the engagement of the young, the ageing, and the Indigenous members of regional communities.

The workshops were held in Armidale, Tamworth, Moree, Narrabri and Bingara, with more than 90 people attending across the region. “Most of the ideas are strongly associated with specific places, but similar ideas emerged in places/communities right across the region,” said the leader of the “Unison” project, Dr Philip Thomas from the University of New England. “A common theme is that of taking advantage of particular local strengths – and even turning perceived ‘problems’ into opportunities – ‘reframing’, if you like. Basically it’s about identifying assets and building on them through ideas that lead to action.

“As an example of this, the workshop participants discussed the opportunities that will arise from increased mining activity, and ways of meeting any associated social challenges in order to prosper from the economic benefits. It’s a matter of getting the mix right to ensure a sustainable future.”

Dr Thomas, a Principal Research Fellow in Innovation within UNE’s School of Business, Economics and Public Policy, is the leader of the “Unison” project, which is funded by the NSW Department of Industry, Innovation and Investment (II&I). “Our aim is to draw innovative ideas from the wealth of knowledge and experience within communities, and to see how UNE might be able to assist in developing those ideas into action,” he said.

The project is also supported by the Cotton Communities Cooperative Research Centre, Tamworth Regional Development Corporation, and Armidale Chamber of Commerce.

Last week Dr Thomas and Professor Ted Alter from Penn State University (PSU) in the United States presented a report on the workshops to an audience of Government and community representatives at the MLC Centre in Martin Place, Sydney. Professor Alter and his PSU colleague Dr Michael Fortunato travelled to UNE to assist in the workshops as part of a collaborative program of research projects involving innovation and engaged scholarship within the newly-formed Ideas to Action Centre, based at UNE.

“With the fieldwork component of our project now completed, the debriefing session was held to share our results and insights with the Department and other interested people,” Dr Thomas said. “As a result, they recognised the ‘Unison’ project as a good example of the community engagement work possible through collaborations involving II&I and UNE.

“The final meeting under the current project is planned for early October and is likely to be held in Bingara. The aim is to identify ideas and opportunities for innovation that have potential – and particularly those that are relevant to communities across the region. The meeting will also explore the potential for creating a structure and process around the innovation network that has now formed, and discuss what is needed to support this community-based initiative.”

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows Dr Michael Fortunato from Penn State University (left) with UNE’s Dr Philip Thomas at one of the workshops.

Ideas for innovation have begun emerging within regional communities around northern NSW, a process that is being fostered through an initiative called “Unison”.

“Unison” is bringing to regional centres a series of community workshops – called “Intentional Innovation Community Workshops” – aimed at identifying good ideas from within those communities and developing them into action.

The project is being conducted by the University of New England with funding from the NSW Department of Trade and Investment.

“It’s a novel collaboration between the communities themselves, UNE, and the State Government,” said Dr Philip Thomas (pictured here), the leader of the project, who is a Principal Research Fellow in Innovation in UNE’s School of Business, Economics and Public Policy. “Our aim is to draw innovative ideas from the wealth of knowledge and experience within communities, and to see how UNE might be able to assist in developing those ideas into action.”

Workshops have been held in Armidale, Tamworth, Moree, Narrabri and Bingara over the past two months, and there will be additional workshops this coming week in Bingara and Narrabri. The Bingara workshop will be in the Roxy Theatre at 5.30 pm on Monday 29 August, and the Narrabri workshop in the Crossing Theatre at 10.30 am on Thursday 1 September.

Another partnership that has flourished during the project is that between UNE and Penn State University (PSU) in the United States. The two universities signed an agreement at the beginning of 2010 that has seen them develop strong relationships in several areas of research and engaged scholarship – particularly in the area of the development and adoption of innovation and in several other areas of research and engaged scholarship. Professor Ted Alter and Dr Michael Fortunato from PSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences travelled to Australia to assist with the workshops – Dr Fortunato in Armidale and Tamworth, and Professor Alter in Moree, Narrabri and Bingara.

Professor Alter, who will accompany Dr Thomas to next week’s meetings in Bingara and Narrabri, said that the workshops were about “the creation, development and implementation of ideas from a community base”. “They’re bringing together the ideas of people in the community on subjects such as new technologies, new public policies, and new business initiatives,” he said.

He added that innovative ideas were already emerging, through the encouragement of the workshops, in areas such as broadband development, improved methods of service provision, and alternative means of energy generation.

A new initiative called ‘Unison’, which aims to help useful and innovative ideas come to fruition, particularly in regional areas, is about to swing into action.

A collaboration between UNE and the NSW Department of Trade and Investment, Regional Infrastucture and Services (DTIRS), Unison is a process ‘that is itself innovative’, according to Dr Philip Thomas, Principal Research Fellow in Innovation in the School of Business, Economics and Public Policy at UNE.

Called ‘Intentional Innovation Community Workshops’, the events will consist of a free, half-day workshop and follow-up workshop in Armidale, Tamworth, Moree and Narrabri in July and August, 2011. Dr Thomas, who is coordinating the workshops, says the purpose is to help turn ideas into useful outcomes.

Participants will learn about the concept of building Intentional Innovation Communities (IICs) from internationally-recognised speakers Ted Alter and Michael Fortunato from Penn State University. They will be able to share their ideas and hear of possible actions that can create an overall strategy for supporting innovation in our communities.

‘We need to get useful ideas to actually happen,’ Dr Thomas said. ‘People have good ideas at a personal, community and business level, but it is often much more difficult to make things happen in reality, particularly within a regional context. Many creative and motivated people do it on their own but bringing knowledge and skills into a collective process can make it much easier.

‘This is an opportunity to meet other like-minded people within your region. Within this process you are effectively bringing in knowledge from much more than one individual to complete the task required – and this is the idea of the Intentional Innovation Communities. We will talk about how to combine empowerment, trust, collaboration and creativity to achieve action.’

Dr Thomas said the process is designed for community ideas and business ideas alike. ‘These old silos of thinking are melting, and the new wave of innovation brings together those who have not traditionally talked to each other. We are keen to have people come along from all sorts of backgrounds and ages to fuel innovative possibilities.

‘From these workshops we can create a “hothouse” if you like, a safe place to share ideas, and we’re confident this process can deliver exciting prospects. We have great thinkers and do-ers within our region,’ Dr Thomas said.

The initiative is supported by the Cotton Catchment Communities CRC, Tamworth Regional Development Corporation, and DTIRS. Initial workshops will be held in Armidale on July 20^th, Tamworth on July 22^nd, Moree on August 19^th and Narrabri on August 23^rd. Bookings (for catering purposes) can be made by calling Kate Schwager on (02) 6799 2477. Further information can be obtained by calling Dr Thomas on (02) 6773 3908.