Empowering community members to grow and innovate and encouraging dialogue and open discussions leading to the inception of great ideas were in the very centre of the recently held Co-Design Session that hosted Tatiana Glad, founder and director of Impact Hub Amsterdam, according to a press statement sent to Business Malta.
Organised by the ENISIE Project at the Malta Innovation Hub within the Malta Life Sciences Park, the well-attended event formed part of the Malta Innovation Summit 2019 further contributing to the current wave of social innovation.
After a brief introduction, the session kicked off with a SWOT analysis [a technique used to determine and define strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats] of the Malta Innovation Hub where participants, hailing from various industries, voiced their thoughts and suggestions.
Drawing from her international experience and knowledge of innovation tools, Ms Glad conducted multiple exercises inviting the participants to engage and exchange their perspectives. The final part of the day-long event saw an in-depth group discussion on thematic areas such as e-health, food technology and sustainable tourism.
“As a practice, innovation to me is about understanding ourselves as living systems in constant cycles of creation and closure whereby we see the closing of a phase as feeding into a new one. We make our organisations and businesses more resilient if innovation is an embedded and ongoing practice. There are techniques and methodologies with which organisations can ensure a continuous cycle of innovation,” Ms Glad told Business Malta earlier.
“Events like these serve as an incubator for innovation and thought-provoking discussions bringing the entrepreneurship aspect of an organisation closer to the community it operates in. Our aim is to foster a culture of collaboration and participation between businesses and communities which will result in a successful positive social impact,” said Ing. Joseph P. Sammut, Chairman of the Malta Life Sciences Park.