Innovation expert joins forces with North East LEP

An eminent commercial innovator has taken on a key role at the North East LEP to transform the region into a centre for innovation growth.

Professor Roy Sandbach has agreed to work with the North East Local Enterprise Partnership to map out innovation networks from the North East across the globe.

Professor Sandbach is currently the 10th David Goldman visiting professor of Innovation & Enterprise at Newcastle University Business School.

He has over 30 years experience at Proctor & Gamble and his background spans a multi-billion US business and a number of marketplace new product introductions.

His work will underpin what Lord Adonis called “a bold manifesto for change” by focusing on the application of open innovation and smart specialisation principles across the North East LEP area.

He said: “I have spent much of my career working to create wealth through innovation in a major global organisation.

“Now I have the opportunity to put some of those skills to use for the benefit of my home region.

“I am convinced that there are huge opportunities to apply some collaborative open innovation principles and processes to the way we innovate here.

“We already have outstanding skills and capabilities within the region, with great innovative talent already built into our SMEs, our blue-chips and institutions.

“The North East LEP’s innovation panel will aim to enable these capabilities work better together, building innovative momentum.”

Professor Sandbach will set the foundation of an innovation eco-system that attracts new talent, fosters local business and sets an agenda for change and development that can be equally applied to advanced manufacturing, the creative industries, financial and business services.

He said: “At this early stage, my vision for open innovation has four elements. First, to better and rigorously engage our businesses and universities with more major global players.

“Nearly all multinationals have a publicly stated open innovation strategy.

“ We need to get them here in a truly co-ordinated way, encourage top-to-top dialogue and show them how our businesses, especially our SMEs, can solve their problems.

“Second, we have already established some brilliant examples of open innovation hubs in the region, we have a new one proposed for the subsea sector and I know that open, collaborative thinking is at the core of forward-thinking efforts in life sciences, design, automotive and beyond.

“Physical centres of innovation with unique facility, equipment or skill derived capability are, and will continue to be, beacons in the global innovation landscape.

“We need to listen to the needs of innovation centre and science park leaders and help them to build and re-apply further collaborative, open practices.

“The greater the sense of dynamic innovation in our centres of excellence, the more likely that the North East will be seen as a destination for innovation investment.

“Third, we need to build the best innovation networks in the world. Innovation is often matching ‘what’s possible’ with ‘what’s needed’.

“Great networks facilitate that link. We already have several outstanding networked systems in the region….and we are a region that has the kind of reasonable scale that makes networking easier.

“I would like the Innovation Panel to find ways to help all our networks to operate even better.

“Finally, we must offer great training in the concepts of innovation process and culture.

“We must challenge ourselves to create learning opportunities for business leaders in the North East to engage on these subjects here, inside the region.

“And this is not just about reaching out to innovation leaders and the R&D community. It is absolutely critical that these concepts are embedded in the thinking and vocabulary of other critical groups including public sector leaders, SME chief executives, leaders of educationand the financial sector.

“I am hoping that the prestigious university business schools in the LEP area will step forward and collaborate on this one.”

“We are all after the same thing - more creative innovation, managed with efficiency and momentum.

“This will lead to more jobs and build the open innovation brand for the region. With the support of the whole business community and public bodies, I’m sure that we can make the rest of the world sit up and take notice.”

Will Hutton, chair of the Big Innovation Centre and a member of the North East Independent Economic Review team, welcomed the appointment of Roy Sandbach to the LEP’s innovation panel.

He said: “Roy is exceptionally well versed in the benefits of open innovation, and is a first-rate appointment by the North East LEP.

“To drive the North East ahead in a highly competitive global environment, the area has to offer something distinctive, and it can do this through open innovation. This is vital to building the high value industries of the future. “

Paul Woolston, chair of the North East LEP added: “This fabulous offer from Roy Sandbach marks an exciting move for us, and underlines the breadth of talent and support for our Partnership.

“Roy’s commitment, energy and expertise will drive our innovation strategy which in turn will provide a route for us to compete on the world stage, create highly skilled jobs and involve local people in the area’s growth and success.”