The use of creativity to improve a business and take it to a higher level can and should also be learned. The tools available to entrepreneurs are many and the main ones were focused on the CREA NET 2.0 seminar, held within the scope of the ECCIXII European Conference on Creativity and Innovation, which took place in the Algarve between 14 and 16 September.
The initiative brought together some of the leading European experts in creativity and innovation at the same table. The idea is that they continue to collaborate and reflect together on these matters
The seminar was organized by CRIA -Division of Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer of the University of Algarve, one of the national partners of the CREA NET 2.0 project. It was attended by some of the greatest European thinkers in the area of creativity and innovation, who gave precious tips on innovation and business creativity, network creativity and collaborative learning.
The seminar was based on the Working Table model, as its main objective was to sow the seeds for the creation of a European Network of Experts in the field of creativity.
The seed of this Tink Thank bore fruit and the desired discussion and reflection not only happened but was extended to the audience, in an authentic collaborative learning experience.
It cannot be said that the CREA NET 2.0 seminar configured a Collaborative Design Thinking process, one of the main tools for innovation in organizations, but it met what guest speaker Katja Tschimmel explained in her speech.
The Collaborative Design Thinking expert explained the concept and made it clear that you don't have to be a designer to get it going. «Collaborative Design Thinking turns out to be the ability of a living system to generate new ideas», he summarized.
Companies, as organizations created and energized by individuals, can be seen as living systems. And they are the ones who can benefit most from this method.
"Design Thinking expresses the entry of design methods into areas beyond the traditional ones, namely business innovation," he said. Basically, it is about putting all the company's assets to work for the same purpose, in a creative process extended to all elements of the company, since innovation can arise in any sector. «We are all specialists in something and we all want to make our contribution», believes the German creative, who has long lived in Portugal.
Dimis Michaelides, another guest speaker, also stressed the importance of making the creative process as comprehensive as possible. “One of the recent evolutions was the passage of the notion of creativity from a few great creatives to many smaller ones”, he illustrated. In other words, we never know when we are sitting next to a creative genius, a phrase that served as the motto for ECCIXII.
With regard to business organization and innovation, the Greek expert urged entrepreneurs to understand, from the outset, "which flavor of innovation suits them best", before applying changes in their companies. Innovation is good when well focused and results-oriented, he explained, but it can have harmful effects when poorly oriented.
The discussion soon spread to the other members of the Working Table, the forerunners of the network of experts that was born here. In addition to Herman Hoving, who gave a presentation on Open Innovation, Paul Corney, Gijs Van Wulfen and Pia Reksten's also added their vision to the joint reflection.
Among the issues discussed, emphasis was placed on the application of creativity in the service of innovation in different cultures. For Gijs Wulfen, cultural differences can be a determining factor, but Paul Corney believes, based on his experience, that there are universal methods of stimulating creativity.
«You can create a collaborative event and actively challenge people to participate», he believes, in order to overcome obstacles. As Herman Hoving stressed, "all over the world there are creative people, but in certain countries there are barriers that prevent many people from making their contribution."
Pia Reksten's argued that “innovation must start from a concrete problem”, since there is a risk of “there are too many ideas”, which makes the whole process counterproductive. By knowing what issue we have to resolve, the creative process becomes more oriented and efficient.
After several hours of discussion, the CREA NET 2.0 seminar ended and left most participants satisfied. The dynamic and fluidity of the Work Desk was such that the coffee break did not take place, without this being noticed by most of those present.
CREA NET 2.0 is a project co-financed by the Territorial Cooperation Program INTERREG IVB SUDOE, which brings together partners from Portugal, Spain and France. The project leader is the Agencia de Desarrollo Económico de La Rioja (ADER).
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