REGIONAL INNOVATION SOLUTIONS

The Critical Step: Synthesis and Integration

With increasingly abundant sources of federal and state funding available for regional innovation, a generational opportunity exists for both regions and their university partners to design: 1) a regional innovation engine or hub, 2) a regional initiative, 3) a new intermediary organization, or 4) a custom solution that produce transformative impacts. The fundamental opportunity here is bringing university expertise into frameworks associated with regional economic drivers. Both region and university need pathways to succeed.

Our Franklin Solution Principals have track records of success that evidence strong levels of synthesis and integration in the governance and programmatic designs of regional innovation solutions. Tools and concepts from our previous work are available on our Resources Page.

“Tim and Nancy Franklin have invested decades in building regional economic capacity, with demonstrated results in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.   Strategic intent, fresh big ideas, new money, frameworks for collaboration, and a focus on doing and outcomes are in the Franklin DNA.”

Meredith Aronson, Ph.D.
IT Business Architect, The University of Arizona
Former Associate Director, Office of Economic and Workforce Development,
Penn State University
Former State Director, NJ Manufacturing Supply Chain, NJIT

Universities’ Role in Regional Innovation Hubs and Engines

Universities have many assets with which to engage in regional innovation, economic resiliency, and community vitality. Among these assets are the research enterprise and associated deep reservoirs of expertise, the teaching mission and opportunity to connect students with real world challenges, and the convening power and facilitation capability inherent in many institutions of higher education. We have designed and managed large-scale, cross-university engagements with rural, urban, and suburban regions to stimulate regional innovation and create hubs for growing new economies. The current focus on regional innovation engines and regional innovation hubs highlights the benefits from each of our principals’ more than 25 years’ experience in designing and leading the development of multiple large-scale initiatives. Some of the many ways we can assist you in your university’s regional innovation endeavors include:

User Inspired Research and Development

Translating Innovation Into Practice

Workforce

Regional Initiatives

“Nancy and Tim Franklin are catalysts for transformation. In my work with both of them I have experienced their expert strategic thinking, their ability to inspire collaboration, and their adeptness of moving quickly from vision to action.”

Jim Woodell, Owner and Principal, Jim Woodell & Company;
Former Vice President for Economic Development and Community Engagement,
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities

Services for Communities and Regions:

Economic, community, and workforce development extends beyond cities and counties to regions that are bounded by a common geography, culture, and economic conditions.  In the innovation economy, regions grow when they create competitive advantage in the global marketplace.  Effective development strategies are driven by a region’s unique assets and its intellectual capital.  Moving distressed regions to economic self-sufficiency and ultimately to economic prosperity entails the development of inclusive innovation ecosystems. We have experience with rural, urban, and exurban renewal initiatives and are prepared to work with your region on revitalization approaches that encompass the following five dimensions:

Strategy

Narratives of Change

• Distinctive community or institutional identity development and branding
• Compelling visions of the future for communities and institutions
• Inclusiveness and democratic civic approaches

Quality of Community as Places to Live, Work and Play

Economic Growth, Innovation, and New Employment

Talent and Employees

New Organization Formation

“Tim and Nancy bring a rich set of tools and an international network of partners that I relied upon when Tim and I partnered to build NJII as a new model for business innovation bringing together universities, government agencies and businesses large and small.”

Donald Sebastian, Founding President and CEO
New Jersey Innovation Institute
Senior VP for Technology and Economic Development, NJIT

Special purpose intermediary organizations connect various institutions and organizations to each other in ways that enable innovative, larger-scale outcomes.  Intermediary organizations may be designed to accelerate innovation by linking large companies with small companies, entrepreneurs, and university intellectual property.  Or they may be designed to activate collective regional revitalization by connecting governmental bodies, private industry, and educational, research, and charitable institutions.  Our experience with intermediary organizations is particularly associated with linking and leveraging higher education assets and expertise in ways that benefit communities, companies, and regions.  We can assist you with the following dimensions of intermediary organization formation:

Strategy

• Critical Partners

• Framing Mission and Purpose

• Feasibility Analysis

• Asset Mapping

• Need and Gap Analysis

Governance and Structural Design

• Legal Structure

• Board Formation

• Board Development

Leadership and Staffing

• Executive Coaching

• Executive Team Formation

• Recruiting Talented, High-Performing Staff

• Leadership and Staff Development

Financing and Sustainable Business Models

• Fund Development

• Business Model Development

• Government Liaison and Advocacy

• Proposal Development

• Metrics and Accountability Systems

Program Design and Implementation

• Program Framework

• Program Partnerships

• Program Alignment with Purpose

• Program Scaffolding

Transformation

• Project Management and Implementation

• Agile Transformation and Change Management

• Stakeholder Engagement

“…big ideas are the vehicles that help transform society and make the lives of people and communities better…In addition to promoting community resilience and well-being, really big ideas typically lead to more big ideas. They are the gifts that keep on giving… Having and implementing big ideas requires collective focus, broad collaboration, unwavering persistence and steadfast commitment from all major stakeholders.”

Jim Woodell, Owner and Principal, Jim Woodell & Company;
Former Vice President for Economic Development and Community Engagement,
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities

Build Your Custom Solution

We recognize that every situation is unique, and that effective solutions to complex challenges need to be tailored to the particular needs and interests of the associated people, place, and time.  Whether you are:

• just starting to assess your options,
• have already launched a pilot initiative,
• are ready to develop a multi-year plan,
• want to engage a broad coalition in strategic action, or
• are working to mature and institutionalize your efforts,

we’d be delighted to talk with you about your context and to apply our expertise to design a solution that is right for you.

Contact Us About Our Custom Solution Initiatives.