The Kansas Opportunity Innovation Network (KOIN) works to build technology-based businesses through collaboration. Its mission is to advance technologies, companies, and people through partnerships. KOIN spans research, product and process development, and commercialization. It aims to increase regional innovation and competitiveness by connecting resources, discovering new markets, and fostering open innovation. KOIN will create an environment that connects ideas and opportunities across geographic boundaries.

1. The Kansas Opportunity Innovation
pp y
Network (KOIN):
Working Together to Build Technology‐Based Businesses
NADO KYR Webinar: Regional Boundary‐Spanning
NADO KYR W bi R i l B d S i
Growth Opportunities
March 10, 2011

2. AMI is part of Kansas State University’s College of
g g, ,
Engineering, a KTEC Center of Excellence, an EDA
University Center, and a Great Lakes Wind Network
Center of Excellence.
MISSION: to advance technologies, people, and companies
through collaborative engineering and business partnerships.
h h ll b i i i db i hi

3. AMI spans Research to Commercialization
• Develop new products
• Develop new processes and technologies
• Develop the means to bring products to market more
rapidly
• Develop the means to produce products more efficiently.
Technology Product & Process
Research Development Development Commercialization

4. AMI TBED Strategy to Increase Impact
Community:
Regional
Innovation/
Collaboration
Company: Strategic
Competitive Advantage
C i i Ad
Project: Product, Process,
Technology Development
Development
Technology Industry
Process
Expertise Expertise
Expertise

5. Underlying Assumptions and Beliefs…
Basis of AMI TBED Strategy
i f Driving Questions
 Innovation enables sustaining How can AMI best assist Kansas
global competitiveness.
global competitiveness companies to increase
companies to increase
innovation capacity?
 There are key elements required What can AMI do to level the
for successful tech ventures.
for successful tech ventures playing field for tech ventures?
playing field for tech ventures?
 Technology‐based companies How can AMI best help rural
should not be location limited. communities to grow tech‐based
businesses?
 “Blue ocean” opportunities exist How can AMI bring resources
where boundaries are spanned. together to exploit “blue ocean”
opportunities ?
 Successful entrepreneurs are not How can AMI facilitate greater
necessarily smarter…just better connectedness to new growth
connected. opportunities?

6. Innovation is a Contact Sport
Innovation is a Contact Sport
http://www.canoeicf.com/icf/Aboutoursport/Canoe‐Polo/More‐on‐Canoe‐Polo/Introduction‐Continued.html

7. There are key elements required for
successful tech ventures.
f lt h t
Access to ideas
and technology
sources
Access to
Access to
Access to
enabling
markets
infrastructure
Access to
Access to
Access to
skilled
capital
workforce
Access to
know‐how
know how
expertise

8. How can rural America compete?
How can rural America compete?
Public Domain
bli i http://minimediaguy.org/2007/02/21/the‐amish‐approach‐to‐new‐media/
h // i i di /200 /02/21/ h ih h di /

9. AMI Regional Innovation Goals
AMI Regional Innovation Goals
•Increase traded industry wealth generation
Increase traded industry wealth generation
•Develop “hard‐to‐copy” regional advantage
•Level competitive playing field (urban, global)
•Weave richer business opportunity environment
•Create proactive development tools for regional agents

10. KOIN will create an environment that
transcends geographic isolation,
g g p
discovers new markets, innovates openly
and fosters global competitiveness to be
at the intersection of great ideas and new
at the intersection of great ideas and new
opportunities.
• Profile innovation competencies, assets, capabilities and needs of regions,
fl bl d d f
communities, and local companies
• Scout new opportunities, especially global opportunities, outside existing
markets where clients may have little to no connection access
• Create an actively woven network of technology providers, expertise, capital,
etc and business partners that possess complimentary competencies
etc and business partners that possess complimentary competencies
• Facilitate the ability to readily connect and combine opportunities,
companies, communities, regions in innovative ways so that the response if
greater than the sum of its parts
t th th f it t

11. Kansas
Livestock
Livestock
Foundation
TEXAS
AMI Phosphorus Recovery AMANA FARMS
Technology Development TCFA

12. How do we find new opportunities?
• Every region is unique
• Every region has similarities
• Uniqueness and similarities both create
opportunities
• Next question
– How can we exploit these opportunities and decide
on the best opportunities to pursue
• Answer
– By understanding the region, the
interdependences and innovation capabilities

13. “Blue ocean” opportunities exist where
boundaries are spanned.
boundaries are spanned
Bridging Small Worlds Building New Worlds
• Recombinant invention • Intersection of small worlds
• Maximizes resources • Clash and Combine
• Minimizes risk • Challenge assumptions
• Changes perspectives • Create new fields
Boundary Spanning to Identify New Opportunities

14. What is a region?
Eco Dev Community
Nation 5%
u t p e States
Multiple States 5%
State 0%
Multi‐city across … 5%
Multi‐city within … 5%
Multiple Counties 20%
County Limits 50%
City Limits 10%
0% 20% 40% 60%

15. County Centric View of Kansas
County‐Centric View of Kansas

16. What is a region?
Eco Dev Community Banks Business
Community
Nation 5% 23%
0%
u t p e States
Multiple States 5% %
14% 24%
State 0% 9% 12%
Multi‐city across … 5% 14%
4% 14%
Multi‐city within … 5% 5% 1%
Multiple Counties 20% 59% 23%
County Limits 50% 0% 3%
City Limits 10% 0% 0%
0% 20% 40% 60% 0% 50% 100% 0% 20% 40%

17. Traded Cluster View of a Region

18. What does Kansas look like?

19. What strengths are there in KS?
The mean or the sum?

20. Regional Analysis – Where to Start?
• Focus on traded
industries
• What do we:
– Preserve ?
– Extend ?
– Combine ?
• Assess innovation
readiness
• Need to redefine
clusters in rural
regions
• Visualization can
reshape the discussion

21. Access to Business Detail

22. Connecting Through Competencies
Business Profiles/Clusters not Based on Final Product/Service
Technical Business User
Capabilities Expertise Understanding
First Tier
Second
Tier
Third Tier

23. Network Weaving: Knitting Connectedness
• Most networks are
fragmented unless
deliberately developed
• Thicker networks help
us learn faster, spot
opportunities faster,
align resources faster, Scattered Fragments Hub and Spoke Network
and act faster. They
accelerate innovation.
accelerate innovation.
• Regional assets
connected in new
open innovation
open innovation
networks will expand
opportunities
Core Periphery Network Multi‐Hub Small World Network

24. Mapping Potential Industry
Mapping Social Connections
Connections

25. AMI Wind Industry
Manufacturing Supply
Chain Initiative
Additional Company
14 County Region Pre‐Assessment Project Full Profiles

26. AMI Regional Innovation Strategy
• Assess what is available – take advantage of
Assess what is available
strengths
• Develop collaborations
• Identify opportunities
• Create a specific plan of attack
• Find the resources
• Execute the plan

27. Business Profiling/Supply KTEC Technology Cluster Business Profiling and
Chain Network Development Strategy Development Innovation Networking
Partner: KDOC Partner: KTEC Partner: North Central
Regional Planning Commission
Regional Planning Commission
Involve “invested”
partners
Focus on traded
Focus on “traded
wealth” creation
Regional Asset Mapping Regional Manufacturing Wind Supply Chain ID and Kansas Army Ammunition
Partner: Great Plains Park/Incubator IBED Strategy Pre‐profiling Assessment Plant Business
Development Inc.
Development Inc and Business Development Partner: South Central
Partner: South Central Redevelopment
Partner: Harvey County Kansas Economic Partner: Great Plains
Economic Development Council Development District Development Authority

28. Thank You!
Brad Kramer:
B dK
bkramer@amisuccess.com
(785) 532 7044
(785) 532‐7044
Jeff Tucker:
jtucker@amisuccess.com
(785) 532‐3421
http://www.amisuccess.com/