Innovation Standards and Competency Frameworks

This podcast episode from Innovate Ireland explores the seemingly paradoxical concept of standardizing innovation through conversations with two experts in the field.

Eoin Flavin discusses ISO 56000 - a family of standards for innovation management. He explains how these globally validated frameworks can actually enhance rather than constrain innovation:

• The standards synthesize knowledge from over a thousand global experts, creating a common innovation language
• They help organizations identify gaps in their innovation capabilities and processes
• Contrary to the myth of the "lone genius," successful innovation at scale typically involves disciplined systems
• Most standards provide helpful guidance rather than strict instructions
• Organizations can use them as a reference point to assess their innovation maturity

As Eoin puts it, "While some argue that standardisation is the enemy of innovation...many breakthrough innovations came about through following sets of processes."

In the second half, Charlie Tuxworth shares his work on developing a competency framework for innovators.

Key points include:

• The framework helps individuals identify their current innovation skills and development needs
• It creates a consistent "innovation language" that enables better collaboration
• Course providers and universities can align their offerings with the framework
• Employers can better understand the specific innovation competencies of potential hires
• The goal is to "democratize" innovation skills by removing barriers to learning

Charlie emphasizes that innovation skills are increasingly in demand as we face complex challenges: "We know that the sticky problems that we're facing in terms of the economy, society and the environment can't be fixed by just trying harder."

Both speakers agree that far from killing creativity, good innovation frameworks actually enhance it by creating shared understanding and more effective collaboration. A draft version of Charlie's framework is expected later in 2025.

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Find out more about ISO 56000 here: https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:iso:56000:dis:ed-1:v1:en

Access Innovate Island’s handbook on ISO here: https://my.innovateisland.net/c/publications/innovate-island-handbook-making-innovation-work

Find out more about the Competency Framework here: https://mailchi.mp/celsiogroup/competency_framework

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This podcast episode from Innovate Ireland features a conversation between Alan Doherty and Kathryn Lynch about mapping Ireland's innovation ecosystem.

Kathryn discusses her project to catalog the publicly funded innovation resources available across Ireland, revealing 275 different entities, funding sources, and support organizations. She explains how small and medium enterprises often struggle to navigate this complex landscape despite Ireland's reputation as an innovation performer on European scorecards.

The mapping project began as a response to feedback from smaller businesses who didn't know where to turn for innovation support. Kathryn describes how she manually compiled a spreadsheet of all publicly funded innovation resources (excluding private initiatives) to create a comprehensive ecosystem map available on the Innovate Ireland website (innovateisland.net).

Key discussion points include:

• The disconnect between headline innovation performance and the experience of indigenous businesses
• The challenge of defining "innovation" consistently across different organizations
• How technical readiness levels vary widely among innovation supports
• Sectors well-served by innovation funding (advanced manufacturing, health tech)
• The importance of relationship-building and trust in innovation collaboration
• The need for Ireland to make strategic "big bets" in specific sectors rather than trying to fund everything
• Practical ways SMEs can engage with academia through student placements, masters projects, and co-PhDs
• The cultural challenges that sometimes prevent effective innovation in Ireland

The interactive ecosystem map allows users to filter resources by sector, geography, and type of support, with the ability to contribute updates as the innovation landscape evolves. Alan and Kathryn emphasize that innovation "takes a village" and that understanding the ecosystem is the first step to accessing Ireland's rich network of support resources.

You can find the Ecosystem Map at:

https://www.innovateisland.net/map/

Visit the Innovate Island community on:

https://my.innovateisland.net/feed

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