Tapping the spirit of innovation

Even the most innovation-led business can find it challenging to keep generating ideas day after day. One novel way Air Products has come up with to inspire new ideas is by creating ‘occasions’ on which to share its R&D successes with research and customer partners, and with the wider community.

Since it opened in 1991, the success of our European Technology Group headquarters in Basingstoke, UK, has rested on our ability to draw down knowledge from within the business, whilst maintaining a focused approach to innovation. As an established global business with R&D centres located in the US, Europe and Asia, we are used to working as pan-global teams, leading projects in some of the most dynamic and inspirational areas of scientific study – from harnessing the potential of hydrogen fuel cell technology, to optimising photovoltaics and developing high-performance coatings that are kinder to the environment.

However, we are always keen to increase efficiency, and looking for ways to improve what we do is a constant challenge.

Reflect on achievements

Faced with such pressures, the need to take time to reflect on achievements and celebrate successes is often forgotten. We recently hosted a ‘Spirit of Innovation’ event to showcase some of the best R&D to emerge from the centre in Basingstoke over the last 21 years. Among the inventions featured at the exhibition were a food freezing tunnel that uses liquid nitrogen to quick-freeze food products; emissions control technology for removing harmful pollutants from the air; lightweight gas cylinders that are safer and easier to use; and a range of food grade gases for use in modified atmosphere packaging, to keep food products fresher for longer.

Along with customers and research partners from manufacturing, energy, technology and healthcare sectors across Europe, we invited science students from a local college to come along and see our inventions, and meet the researchers behind them.

This turned out to be a valuable exercise from both perspectives – young science enthusiasts had the opportunity to see science in action, while our R&D experts were inspired by telling the stories of their inventions to such an appreciative audience.

Strengthening insights

As an innovation-led businesses, Air Products strives to make innovation and idea-generation an integral part of its operations. The key to this is driving inter-company collaboration and promoting knowledge-sharing.

Lean management processes have helped us to do this. We also host continuous improvement events that bring together cross-functional teams of people to consider how to add value to systems, products and services. In addition, technology, management and sales experts are encouraged to swap - or combine - their roles in order to strengthen insights and bring fresh perspectives to existing or emerging industry problems.

This collaborative approach also helps to accelerate the development of inventions, by creating opportunities to work alongside other companies, universities, governments and institutes around the world.

Culture shift

It’s evident the most successful R&D teams are those that have worked hard to collaborate effectively and to establish strategic research-based partnerships. But this is not always straightforward. As R&D experts, facing up to the culture shift encouraging us to share more of what we know with the outside world has not necessarily been easy - and tensions do still exist.

Working within an agreed collaborative framework, with established boundaries, including areas of scientific focus and the knowledge each party is bringing to the table, have certainly helped.

One key challenge in creating successful collaborations is getting the legal agreements right from the beginning. Universities, large companies, technical institutes and consultants, each have different business drivers, and this is reflected in the nature of the collaborative agreements each prefers. It is important to invest time in getting the non-disclosure and joint development agreements negotiated to a satisfactory point up-front each time. This involves working closely with the legal teams from both sides. While it can often be time-consuming, it is worth the effort to get it right.

In the increasingly collaborative world of R&D, there is growing evidence of the success of open innovation in breaking down barriers of protectionism in order to realise the commercial and technological potential of new ideas. This is an exciting and rewarding opportunity that while not without some risks, is nevertheless an area that companies must continue to embrace and work towards.

Dr Declan Weldon is Director of Technology Merchant Gases at Air Products