CASE STUDY: STRATEGIC INNOVATION
Shaping the Innovation Policy of an entire Nation
The Innovation Advisory Council for Wales (IACW) advises the Welsh Government on innovation policy & practice across Wales in support of the government’s ongoing economic agenda. The IACW members are drawn from expertise across Academia, Third Sector and Industry, inside and outside Wales.
”“Such a consultative process will enable the Welsh Government to develop an innovative policy with the capacity to transform the economy and public service for the benefit of the people.
IACW Board Statement
Thanks to AMPLYFI for producing such excellent and thought-provoking, evidence-based research."
Challenge
IACW approached AMPLYFI to help review the global innovation landscape and the state of innovation in Wales. Innovation is a key driver of economic prosperity, with 50% of economic growth in the United States attributed directly to increased productivity emerging from innovation. However, gathering a complete view of innovation can be difficult.
The IACW board and Welsh Government also required support to process the potential opportunities and threats of key events such as:
- Brexit, the UK leaving the common market
- Climate Change and the impact on Welsh Businesses
- Likely technological disruptions
- The ongoing impact and potential future impacts of pandemics like COVID-19
Solution
IACW partnered with AMPLYFI and the Centre for Innovation Policy Research at Cardiff University to investigate and surface insights for the IACW Board to digest.
The final recommendations on Innovation Policy were drawn from a collaborative range of engagements:
- AMPLYFI investigated global, EU and UK innovation comparators for their report, benchmarking Wales against global best practices in this space.
- The Cardiff University team leveraged the data produced by AMPLYFI to scope the potential future of innovation in Wales.
- IACW facilitated a private sector forum, generating high-level evidence-based policy engagements with private, public and third-sector representatives.
Impact
The work was significant in providing a ‘helicopter view’ of the state of innovation globally. With the document, IACW began reviewing the innovation landscape in Wales to refresh the current innovation policies and initiatives programme.
Allowing the board to make several key recommendations to the Welsh Government that will “…enable the Welsh Government to develop a far-reaching innovation policy for Wales capable of transforming the economy and public services for the benefit of the people.”
Presenting an opportunity to “tackle grand challenges such as poverty, sustainability and make meaningful progress on Wales carbon reduction targets”.
