‘If you’re in the business of making things & you’re not making them smarter or connected you will go out of business, let me repeat that for you, things need to be smarter & connected – Disrupt or be Disrupted’ – Philip Moynagh, VP of IoT Group (IOTG) at Intel.
This for me was the most powerful take-out from last weeks Innovation & Enterprise Conference at Croke Park in association with IRDG which looked to position Ireland as a Global Innovation Hub by 2020 & why not, we certainly have the ability to be just that!
Businesses need to innovate & this doesn’t have to be blue sky light bulb moments all the time. Gary Rainsford of Biomedical Research pointed out quite rightly that Innovation isn’t a cost centre it’s a way of driving revenue & more often than not the bulk of revenue creation is making small changes to existing products & technology & doing what it is they do well better & smarter.
We spoke around validating your market on the day & it was reassuring to hear other speakers highlight the importance of this to not only start-ups but to established businesses, particularly those in growth mode. An over arching theme that resonated over & over again was ‘Are you asking the right questions of the right people’ – this is something we’ve touched on in previous posts & can often be underestimated & overlooked.
We were delighted to have been part of such a great event & to have had the opportunity of adding value to the businesses & people who attended.
Here’s to next year & to Ireland becoming a Global Innovation Hub even before 2020 – exciting times ahead for sure……..