Beyond the invention of new products

Dr Keith Layden FRSC, Chief Technology Officer, Croda International Plc

When we think of innovation, the first thought that springs to mind is the invention of a new product with unique characteristics that the market desires. Important as this may be to an organisation, innovation is broader than that. It should involve every individual in the organisation and every function of the business: from the chemist inventing and creating at the bench and the engineer developing a unique manufacturing process to the salesperson thinking of creative ways of securing a sale and the IT employee creating ways to improve customer communication.

In a commercial context innovation must also focus on creating value through differentiation – doing things that your competitors cannot do or choose not to do. At Croda International Plc we capture all of this in our working definition of innovation, describing it as “any aspect of the business that differentiates the company from the competition and by doing so creates value”.

Creating the right environment

I have no doubt that other companies will define innovation using a different set of words, but the basic principles will be common to all. That being the case, how do organisations make their innovation processes unique and class-leading? The answer is simple: through their people.

In my experience there is no single blueprint for innovation or for the successful innovator. Some are organised and methodical, others chaotic and disorganised. What is important in both cases is to provide an appropriate environment for innovation to flourish.

Successful innovation has a major cultural element. People are at their most creative and innovative when they are fully engaged with the organisation, when they buy into its values and feel a significant part of the whole. It occurs because individuals have an alignment with their employer and this alignment becomes a central part of their life. This is why the most successful innovation managers are those who can create an environment where individuals feel valued and their contribution is recognised and rewarded.

Knowledge is key

In a number of ways, chemical manufacturers and chemical using industries in the UK and across Europe are disadvantaged. As we continue to move towards a bio-based economy with an ever increasing population to feed, local feedstock availability and land mass are limited. Employment and energy costs are high and regulatory compliance often burdensome. One way to compete successfully on a global scale in such an environment is to realise value from our greatest asset – our knowledge base.

So how can we, as ambassadors for our subject, assist in the process of innovation and by doing so contribute to the competitiveness of the chemical science industries in the UK and beyond?

I already mentioned it: innovation is all about people. Their education, training, skills, knowledge and application are key differentiators in competing successfully within a knowledge-based economy. We must continue to extend our knowledge base and to exploit it in order to remain at the forefront of the chemical sciences and its commercial exploitation.

Innovators of the future

In this respect, it is vital that we engage at an early stage with children, excite them about science and explain the breadth of career opportunities available to them with a science-based education. And it is not enough for industry to sit back and identify the limitations in the knowledge and skills of students leaving the education system. We have to take a more proactive approach to ensuring the education system delivers the employees we need to compete globally now and in the future.

Within my organisation for example, our technical staff are actively encouraged to act as STEM ambassadors and commit 1% of their working year to supporting STEM activities with primary and secondary schoolchildren. The benefits for both the trainer and trainee from these activities have been remarkable. To see the young children – and their teachers – leave our laboratories excited by the experience of constructing a formulated product and making the connection between everyday products and chemistry is reward enough for the effort.

There is also a role for industry in higher education. I believe industry has an obligation to contribute to curricula and to provide students with training and opportunities to gain experience. These opportunities could, for example, be incorporated into secondments as part of their undergraduate studies or placements and interactions within the Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) programmes. The benefits to industry are obvious – potential recruits can be identified, their practical and interpersonal skills developed and we can start the process of developing their creativity and innovation capabilities.

If I have one message to all the chemical science based companies in the UK it is this – go out there and contribute to ensuring the production line of chemistry innovators. After all, this production line is our future.