DELIVERING THE ISR50 STRATEGIC VISION
As outlined elsewhere in this report, the Irish Sea Rim is a highly complex macro innovation ecosystem, encompassing diverse range of environments, socio-economic status, and cultures. As such, top-down management or traditional linear support structures will not be sufficient to deliver on the ambitious ISR50 Strategic Vision, nor fully leverage the opportunities presented by the Irish Sea Rim innovation supercluster. As OECD data has shown, in cross-border areas, ‘border barriers overtake proximity benefits’[110] unless mechanisms are created to align strategy, policy, and practice, and build strong relationships across the ecosystem. The Irish Sea Rim has created a new paradigm for achieving both priorities by aligning innovation and places across the whole Irish Sea Rim ecosystem.
The Cresswell-Leigh Bridge Framework is the core means by which the ISR50 Spherical Economy and Digitally Enhanced Human Ecosystem vision is translated into a practical, reproducible, and highly effective way of working. The Bridge Framework has been designed specifically to bring simplicity to complex situations through a structured, yet infinitely adaptable process to deliver the three operational priorities of Optimising Conditions, Catalysing Innvoation, and Driving Impact.
CONNECTING THE QUADRUPLE HELIX
The success of any innovation ecosystem is dependent on building powerful, purpose- and values-based relationships. This is especially true when bringing such diverse interests and cultures as governments, businesses, academia, and places. The shared history of the Irish Sea region requires sensitivity and consideration of the past, to enable the creation and realisation of a unified vision for the future. The independence and neutrality of the Irish Sea Rim, as well as combined experience and expertise in creating and growing high-performing research and innovation ecosystems, place-based regional regeneration and connected prosperity, and technology-enhanced specialist communities enables us to act as a trusted partner, and driver of sustainable, inclusive economic growth.
THE BRIDGE FRAMEWORK IN OPERATION
The Bridge Framework is an iterative, six-stage process, based on systems thinking principles, which provides a comprehensive vehicle for co-producing, implementing, and evaluating strategic initiatives. It is designed to be applied at any point, and at any level of the ecosystem to support novel innovation, bridge across fragmented infrastructures, connect problems to solutions, build resilient partnerships, gain buy in, and drive sustainable growth and returns on investment.
The combination of the Bridge Framework, the feedback loops into policy across six countries, and the unparalleled depth of the Irish Sea Rim ecosystem mapping and network create a uniquely powerful collaborative vehicle for transforming the innovation landscape across the Irish Sea Region.
Figure 23.2 – The Cresswell-Leigh Bridge Framework
STRATEGY AMPLIFICATION: Combine a review of the partner / organisation’s current state (vision, position, metrics) with a collaborative evidence-based, future focussed exercise. This stress-tests assumptions, stretches ambitions, and co-designs strategies and goals that transcend existing boundaries to deliver transformational rather than incremental impact within the context of the Irish Sea Rim and wider global markets.
NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS: Identify possible new opportunities arising from the expanded vision and access to the Irish Sea Rim networks. Mapp the capabilities, resources, and ecosystem dependencies required to achieve new objectives and targets to identify critical gaps in resource, skills, funding, or partnerships.
LANDSCAPE AND MARKET ALIGNMENT: Using the Irish Sea Rim’s unique ecosystem map and network for the entire Irish Sea Region, work with the partner / organisation to connect them to national priorities, emerging sector trends, and the relevant funding environments. Identify existing initiatives with which the partner / organisation could align and / or create critical mass to support synergy, rather than competition or duplication.
ECOSYSTEM BRIDGING AND CONNECTING: Act as a neutral relationship and partnership convener, brokering introductions across the quadruple helix of the Irish Sea Rim (government, business, academia, and place), and support effective cross-border governance and collaboration. Work with the partner / organisation to identify key partners and stakeholders, connecting problems with solutions, and enabling access to key supply chains.
CATALYSING CO-DESIGN AND DELIVERY: Translate strategic priorities and connections into concrete, actionable projects. Provide direct expert input into project, funding, and governance co-design to create shared accountability, commercial viability, and routes to impact. Act as a connector and convenor for key stakeholder relationships, particularly across sectors, borders and cultures, and with community groups and public authorities.
EVALUATION AND IMPACT: Evaluate initiatives to evidence returns on investment and develop follow-on initiatives. Create a critical feedback loop back into the ISR50 operational priorities to produce white papers, inform future funding initiatives, and mainstream successful cross-border projects into future national and cross-Irish Sea Rim funding calls.
The Bridge Framework is effective in any setting and over any timeframe. With governments, and regional leaders, we may hold focussed workshops over a period of weeks or months. In industry this will form the basis of the Irish Sea Rim Consultancy model. With individual ecosystems or clusters, we can deliver this as a one-day workshop. In the future we plan to systemise the framework and its constituent parts and resources to make it accessible at scale in lower resource settings, such as community groups, hyper-local innovation ecosystems, and business startup incubators and accelerators.
We expect the Bridge Framework to develop and evolve over time as we work with a wider variety of partners, settings, and priority areas, and feed results back into Irish Sea Rim and national policies.
The scope and breadth of the Irish Sea Rim’s networks, partnerships, and knowledge of the policy and funding landscape give us the ability to expand strategic ambitions, connect partners, provide expert guidance, and support stakeholder engagement and buy-in in at a scale and depth that has not been possible before.
Grant Thornton, Dublin, Image credit: Irish Sea Rim