At Pd-m, we're passionate about fostering innovation across industries. Our CEO, Richard Hall, recently participated in an engaging panel discussion at the West Yorkshire Innovation Festival, sharing valuable insights on developing an innovation mindset in today's business landscape.
A Meeting of Innovative Minds
The fireside chat, hosted at Nexus Leeds and chaired by Mandy Ridyard, brought together a panel of innovation experts including Richard Hall, Sue Cooke, and Mark Roberts. The discussion delved into critical aspects of innovation in business environments.
Richard engaged with questions from both the chair and audience members, exploring topics such as:
Defining innovation in practical terms
Leadership strategies for embedding innovation within organisations
The crucial role of culture in fostering innovative thinking
Implementing "fail fast, fail cheap" methodologies
Finding the right balance between disruption and structure in early-stage innovation
Overcoming innovation adoption challenges within the NHS
Beyond Breakthroughs: Innovation in Daily Problem-Solving
A key theme throughout the discussion was that innovation isn't limited to major transformational breakthroughs. As Richard highlighted, it's equally about everyday problem-solving, experimentation, and maintaining openness to change.
Mandy Ridyard shared a compelling example from Produmax Ltd, where an apprentice transformed a quality inspection process from a 90-minute procedure to one taking just 90 seconds—demonstrating how innovation at any level can significantly impact throughput and profitability.
Pd-m's Approach to Innovation
Richard had the opportunity to showcase how our team at Pd-m has approached innovation over our 20-year history. He emphasised our flexible methodology, tailoring our innovation approach based on:
Specific project requirements
Organisational structures
Client appetite for transformative versus incremental change
He also highlighted the important distinction between invention and innovation—a fundamental concept in our work with clients across sectors.
West Yorkshire's Rich Innovation Heritage
The discussion acknowledged West Yorkshire's impressive legacy of innovation, including:
The first commercial steam train built by Matthew Murray
The invention of stainless steel by Harry Brearley
The mousetrap, created by James Henry Atkinson
Motorway cat's eyes, invented by Percy Shaw
Looking Forward: Innovation-Led Growth
Fellow panelist Mark Roberts shared insights from his book, "The Entrepreneur Within," focusing on how to FORGE innovation-led growth by embracing the inner entrepreneur. His examples of disruptive thinking and bringing stakeholders along on innovation journeys resonated with Pd-m's own philosophy.
Regional Innovation Ecosystem
The event underscored the strength of West Yorkshire's innovation ecosystem, with its cluster of academic institutions, professional networks, industrial excellence, and collective ambition to establish the region as an innovation powerhouse.
The festival provided an excellent opportunity for networking, with Richard connecting with familiar faces like Nathan Berry, John Cooper, and Colin Glass, while also meeting Jo Barham and Lee Viney in person for the first time.
As we continue our innovation journey at Pd-m, events like these reinforce the importance of collaboration, creative thinking, and embracing change—principles that remain at the core of our approach to product design and development.