Governments: Driving Development with Innovation
IXL Center 10x program in Colombia has promoted regional economic growth by building innovation capacity at hundreds of small enterprises. Delivered in cooperation with the Colombian national Administrative Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (Colciencias) and five metropolitan governments, guides companies from idea to purchase order.
The 10x program is widely popular with governments, chambers of commerce, and the participating companies. It has expanded in size and geography each year of its existence.
Regional Development in Indiana, USA: Accelerating Growth And Employment
IXL leaders worked with the State Chamber of Commerce, leading universities and leading companies to build a new economic development strategy focused on the growth and support of growing knowledge based industries.
The project objectives were (1) to increase the growth of businesses and jobs in knowledge based industries across the state of Indiana, and (2) to increase the the level of academic/business/government collaboration in the interest of economic growth and diversification for the State. In order to ensure the success of the project, IXL leadership team set the following key-performance-indicators: (1) Growth of companies in high-tech and knowledge based industries in Indiana, and (2) Number of graduates with strong technical skills needed by emerging growth industries in the state.
Results:
- One of the lowest state unemployment rates
- Rapid economic growth of targeted health care, telecom and software industries and applications
Regional Development in North Rhein Westphalia, Germany: building an innovation driven economic development strategy
IXL leaders worked with the German state of North Rhein Westphalia to build an innovation driven economic development strategy.
The project objectives were (1) to strengthen the state’s innovation ecosystem and institutions to support accelerated innovation in the strong base of engineering related companies in the state, (2) To attract other innovative leaders in specific industry clusters suited for the state. In order to ensure the success of the project, IXL leadership team set the following key-performance-indicators: (1) Reestablished innovation leadership of engineering related industry in the state, (2) New jobs and increased growth in this sector.
Results: North Rhein Westphalia has the strongest economy and growth of any region in continental Europe
Regional Development in Alberta, Canada: Driving Declining Oil And Gas Industry To Emerging New Energy Industries
IXL Center worked with the Government of Alberta and University of Calgary to move the declining oil and gas industry to emerging new energy industries
The project objectives were (1) to help companies in a declining oil industry re-position themselves to be relevant in the future. (2) Align players along the ecosystem to identify new opportunities build partnerships across the value chain and prepare the ecosystem for providing funding, talent and tax incentives. In order to ensure the success of the project, IXL leadership team set the following key-performance-indicators: (1) Number and size of value chain opportunities, (2) Joint collaborations between local businesses and Haskayne, (3) Number of companies and Jobs involved in collaborative efforts, (4) Number of new jobs created or attracted
Results: This initiative was launched in April and is too early to forecast the results
- 3 collaborations have been initiated between the players
- Externals partners from other regions have been invited to evaluate the local opportunity
- Local companies have put KPIs in their leadership team to look for what’s next
Conglomerates: Finding Real Ideas and Making Ideas Real
Cadinsa a leading conglomerate in Guatemala, with spanning, petroleum, electric power, solar and environmental heaters, exchangers, pumps, materials and spare parts; Cadinsa provides wide range of consulting and design services in industrial assemblies, installation, maintenance, repairs, industrial and commercial training.
Cadinsa participated in the Innovation Olympics Summer Cycle 2016. IXL Center consulted and mentored 5 student teams and C-level executives to discover compelling and sustainable business ideas. At the final stage, two best ideas were selected to enter the pursuit level.
Currently IXL is helping Cadinsa to build the business for the two ideas chosen: one around a new way to finance the clients in the steel industry, and the other one in the food industry, which is a completely new industry for the Cadinsa. The offering for food industry is around freeze-dried products for the B2B and B2C markets in North and Central America.