Slides from a presentation by Steve Thomas on innovation ecosystems.

1. Innovation Ecosystems
Steve Thomas
Vice President Unified Development Inc. (Unidev)
President Missouri Venture Forum

2. Innovation Ecosystems
Thoughts to Share Tonight
What does an Innovation Ecosystem look like?
What are the underlying structures in place?
Who should be the players?
What is needed for it’s development and sustainability?

3. How do we go from cash worries….

4. …. to having money growing out of our ears?

5. Innovation Ecosystems
Two Primary Sources:
A Framework for Discussing Industry Clusters and Innovation
Ecosystems
Ken Harrington, Managing Director Skandalaris Center for
Entrepreneurial Studies at Washington University St. Louis
Survey of Regional Entrepreneurial Activity May 2012
Dr. Mac McKinney and Dr. Gary Renz, Webster University
George Herbert Walker School of Business

6. Innovation Ecosystems
• Lack of awareness and relationships constrain innovation
• Industry clusters need to be intentionally designed
• Supports wide-ranging economic and social growth
• Four essential group for each industry cluster
– Two Social Groups – relate to people and how they interact
• Culture Group
• Institution Group
– Two Economic Innovation Groups – relate to investments in
funding and assets.
• Resource Group
• Facilities Group
A Framework for Discussing Industry Clusters and Innovation Ecosystems
Ken Harrington, Managing Director Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Washington University St. Louis

7. Innovation Ecosystems
Two Social Groups – relate to people and how they interact
Culture Group
encompasses informal and formal community-wide factors like
associations, collaboration events, community knowledge,
media messages, education (workforce), mentoring support,
and other social network factors.
The culture group also includes more personal items like
friendships, motivations and values, perceived future rewards
or losses, past experiences, recognition, and other factors.
A Framework for Discussing Industry Clusters and Innovation Ecosystems
Ken Harrington, Managing Director Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Washington University St. Louis

8. Innovation Ecosystems
Two Social Groups – relate to people and how they interact
Institution Group
includes items that determine the amount of time and effort
that is needed to establish relationships between interested
stakeholders once they begin working together.
It includes things like undocumented agreements, idea
disclosure formalities, employment agreements, company
policies and procedures, contracts, investment terms, wealth
sharing agreements, property rights (IP), conflicts of
interest, who takes credit for accomplishments, and similar
things.
A Framework for Discussing Industry Clusters and Innovation Ecosystems
Ken Harrington, Managing Director Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Washington University St. Louis

9. Innovation Ecosystems
Two Economic Innovation Groups – relate to investments in
funding and assets.
Resource Group
supports both ventures and social factor programs. The first is
support for discovery or starting a new venture. It includes
research funding, Proof of Concept (POC)
funding, prototyping, entrepreneur salaries, legal and IP
support, post POC funding, funding for expert consultants and
service providers, websites, administrative expenses, and the
like.
The second is funding for entrepreneur development (people)
activities and the social innovation factors described above.
A Framework for Discussing Industry Clusters and Innovation Ecosystems
Ken Harrington, Managing Director Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Washington University St. Louis

10. Innovation Ecosystems
Two Economic Innovation Groups – relate to investments in
funding and assets.
Facilities Group
is most often capital expenditures. These frequently require
large up front investments. They include buildings, lab
facilities, research equipment, office space, infrastructure, and
similar items. Shared facilities like incubators and accelerator
labs can serve this need for early stage ventures.
A Framework for Discussing Industry Clusters and Innovation Ecosystems
Ken Harrington, Managing Director Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Washington University St. Louis

11. Innovation Ecosystems
Community
CULTURE
Facilities
Facilities Innovation Structure
Structure
INSTITUTION
Resources
and
Capital
A Framework for Discussing Industry Clusters and Innovation Ecosystems
Ken Harrington, Managing Director Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Washington University St. Louis

12. Innovation Environment and Industry Clusters
Survey May 2012
Dr. Mac McKinney and Dr. Gary Renz,
Webster University George Herbert Walker School of Business

20. Innovation Ecosystems
Champions
watch over an ecosystem and serve as an energy source as well as a
connector for stakeholders.
Champions:
o Listen to and understand entrepreneurs’ needs
o Engage stakeholders and help them define roles within the ecosystem
o Inform community leader and ask for support in the form of resources,
community messaging, and affirmation
o Are motivated most by ecosystem success and not personal gain
o Collaborate with one another to uncover innovation opportunities
between clusters and ecosystems
o Connect and inform stakeholders using virtual and face-to-face social
networks
• Champions often spin-off new ecosystems by recruiting and supporting new
champions
A Framework for Discussing Industry Clusters and Innovation Ecosystems
Ken Harrington, Managing Director Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Washington University St. Louis

21. Champions

22. Thank You!
Steve Thomas
Steve.Thomas@Unidev.com