Driving SME Innovation in the West Midlands

该项目的重点是支持企业在数字和绿色技术领域进行创新，通过引入新产品、服务和流程，实现向净零排放的过渡，主要针对工程、建筑、运输和物流以及数字领域。每所学院都将建立一个创新中心，作为企业的主要界面，帮助他们探索经济学院如何通过创新来支持他们。创新中心可能在上述部分或全部学院地点设有专门的物理位置，但重要的是：*专注于每个学院的部门专业知识，专业知识和设施*使用创新中心的名称建立；除了共享FE和技能品牌外，*在每个学院内推广不同的服务访问点*提供合作事件和活动计划，以最大限度地提高参与度并避免重复*专注于创新传播和知识转移，支持当地企业采用创新*为每个客户企业提供一名关键客户经理，通过可用的支持跟随他们的旅程。确保服务的一致性我们将为希望过渡到新技术、将新服务纳入其业务和改变其业务流程以提高效率的企业提供支持计划。我们的创新实践者将专注于创新的传播和知识转移，支持本地企业采用创新。企业将被带到一个一致的“客户之旅”，目的是创建一个结构化的响应他们的创新愿望。我们的创新中心将根据7步客户旅程提供支持，为每个企业创造一致的服务，无论哪个学院成为他们的主要联系。客户旅程的进一步细节见附件4.1。客户旅程围绕三个核心要素展开：*组织需求分析-确定创新抱负和支持需求*创新计划-提出并记录适当的创新支持需求，与创新中心内的创新实践者共同制定*知识转移和创新管理计划-促进业务参与创新中心提供的支持，包括创新意识课程；针对特定行业的技能提升、技术演示、大学设施的实践课程，以及知识转移伙伴关系和大学服务等后续支持的广泛路标合作是我们创新中心项目的重要组成部分。我们的主要合作将是在这四所学院之间，在我们近年来在其他项目和倡议方面已有的合作伙伴关系的基础上进行。

The project focuses on supporting businesses to innovate in the areas of digital and green technologies, enabling the transition to net zero through the introduction of new products, services and processes, predominantly targeting the Engineering, Construction, Transport and Logistics and Digital sectors.Each College will establish an Innovation Centre to become the main interface for businesses wishing to discover how FE can support them with innovation. Innovation Centres may have a dedicated physical location at some or all of the college locations described above but importantly will:* Be focused on each College's sector specialist knowledge, expertise and facilities* Be established using the Innovation Centre name, alongside shared FE and Skills branding* Promote distinct points of access to the service within each college* Deliver a programme of collaborative events and activities to maximise engagement and avoid duplication* Focus on innovation diffusion and knowledge transfer, supporting innovation adoption within local businesses* Provide a Key Account Manager for each client business who will follow their journey through the available support, ensuring consistency of serviceWe will deliver a programme of support targeted at businesses wishing to transition to new technologies, incorporate new services into their business and change their business processes to become more efficient.Our Innovation Practitioners will focus on innovation diffusion and knowledge transfer, supporting innovation adoption within local businesses. Businesses will be taken on a consistent 'customer journey', with the aim of creating a structured response to their innovation aspirations. Our Innovation Centres will deliver support based on a 7-Step Customer Journey to create consistency of service for each business regardless of which College becomes their primary connection. See Annex 4.1 for further details of the Customer Journey.The Customer Journey centres around three core elements of:* Organisational Needs Analysis - to determine innovation aspirations and support needs* Innovation Plan - to propose and document appropriate innovation support needs, co-created with an Innovation Practitioner within the Innovation Centre* Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Management Programme - facilitated participation by the business in support offered across the Innovation Centres including innovation awareness sessions, sector specific upskilling, technology demonstrations, practical sessions in college facilities and extensive signposting to onward support such as Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and University servicesCollaboration is an important element of our Innovation Centres project. Our primary collaboration will be between the 4 colleges, building on our pre-existing partnership delivery of other projects and initiatives in recent years.