2024:Training/Session 2 (Landscape Canvas)

Session 2: Landscape Canvas

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Your Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

Consider three things as you map your innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E) landscape:

1. Look at the entire institution, regardless of departmental boundaries

An important part of being a University Innovation Fellow is having a vision for the entire institution, inclusive of all resources and independent of departmental lines and territories. Sometimes these resources are already connected and supportive of one another, but in many instances, Fellows find that they are not. High-functioning ecosystems are highly connected, supportive and inclusive of all resources and stakeholders. Once trained, Fellows tend to be effective at spanning boundaries, bringing everyone together and helping forge a shared vision based on an understanding of the ecosystem. Your command of the ecosystem will help you be an effective champion of change.

2. Look at your off-campus, regional ecosystem

There are many champions in the region who would love to meet you and see you succeed in your mission to make the university a more creative, innovative and entrepreneurial place. They may serve as speakers, mentors, champions and funders. While they're likely to be supportive of your quest to help all students hone their entrepreneurial mindset, they're likely more interested in startups and new venture activity. Regions surrounding colleges and universities are always in search of ways to leverage the university as an asset for job creation and economic development. Watch the following video synopsis of Brad Feld's book StartupVille to get his take on vibrant startup ecosystems:



Traditional relationships in academia between administration, faculty and students are hierarchical. As Feld says, if the hierarchy tries to drive the startup culture, it essentially stifles it. Fellows around the world are creating a network, at the grassroots, which is essential to leading a culture shift that is inclusive and encourages creativity, risk-taking and fearlessness. Be mindful of the current culture. These changes don't happen overnight, but rather through your entrepreneurial actions, outreach, events, and student activity that is lifted up, encouraged, promoted and celebrated, regardless of the outcome. Consider the ways a culture shift can begin to happen at your school.

3. One size doesn't fit all

Different constituents at your institution might be motivated by different triggers. Take the Maker Movement in the United States, for example, which was in the spotlight a few years ago with the first-ever U.S. White House Maker Faire. One hundred and fifty university leaders signed letters to then-President Obama, committing to expand opportunities for making. The maker movement and its collection of DIY individuals represent a population who might develop innovative and new creations and seek marketplaces for their products.

In a different segment of your school, there may be pockets of activity amongst architects inspired by green building innovations or the Tiny House Movement. Amongst biologists, you may find those studying the field of biomimicry to create novel innovations inspired by nature. Still, in another part of campus, you may have students designing solutions for those living in poverty. Maybe such courses or programs are offering hands-on, project-based experience. Maybe they're offering real-world experience with an external organization.

Your job is to uncover every resource, across every department or off-campus, that:

1. is already incorporating innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity OR
2. has great potential to be served by innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship offerings because they are so hands-on and real-world focused.
   

Taking this broad view will reveal assets in your immediate ecosystem as well as define new populations that could become part of your ecosystem with a little cultivation.

Assignment

This assignment has 2 deliverables (see below). For this assignment, you'll work with your team on your Landscape Canvas spreadsheet and share the results with your uiguide. Use the visual landscape canvas in the Training Mural, at the top of Session 2, to create an at-a-glance view of your ecosystem for one another and for the stakeholder meeting presentation. But, do not skip the completion of the spreadsheet as you are required to collect detailed information about how many people this resource serves, whether access is limited to a specific major, and who the contact people are for this asset. You'll also create/update your Campus Overview page on the wiki. These items are required to complete training. Both should be posted in the Training Updates page of the UIF Portal. Instructions are on the Submitting Assignments page. Deliverable 2 requires that you update your school’s campus page on the UIF wiki (more below).

Note: Both deliverables should be submitted as a team (if you are part of a Leadership Circle).

Deliverable 1: Landscape Canvas

Watch the video to learn how to complete the Landscape Canvas:



This week you are required to present the Landscape Canvas to your uiguide. Share new insights you gained about the ecosystem, gaps you perceive and strengths you can build upon. Your uiguides will ask you for your initial hypothesis about how you believe those gaps can be addressed. These could be in the form of new learning opportunities - curricular or extracurricular. They can also be in the form of a campaign. You can search through "How to" guides for inspiration from other Fellows. In some instances, you are going to have to think really creativity about *new* solutions custom designed for your institution's context. Your mentors will be thinking partners to help uncover resources in your local community, regional strengths and potential partnerships.

• Click here to learn more about how to fill out the Landscape Canvas

Deliverable 2: Campus Overview Wiki Page

The Campus Overview page is a page about your school on the Wiki composed of five paragraphs that describe your institution's ecosystem. You are required to create or update the page in a specific format, using five parameters we benchmarked from a U.S. Department of Commerce Report in 2013. The launch of the wiki coincided with the release of this report, with support and recognition from the Obama White House.

The five parameters are:

• Promoting student innovation and entrepreneurship: The research you conducted for your Landscape Canvas corresponds to the five parameters. Your research will be most robust in this section (Discover, Learn and Experiment), related to "Promoting student innovation and entrepreneurship."
  
• Encouraging faculty innovation and entrepreneurship: While it doesn't seem as though it directly impacts you, the extent to which faculty are encouraged to innovate and pursue entrepreneurial pathways really does help determine the extent to which they will encourage students to explore their innovative and entrepreneurial potential. Encouragement at the faculty level is one of the things that differentiates more developed I&E ecosystems. Under the "Encouraging faculty innovation and entrepreneurship" category, please provide a succinct view of whether faculty are supported to be entrepreneurial or commercialize their research.
  
• Actively supporting the university technology transfer function: Your research about IP policies in "Pursue" in the Landscape Canvas will give you a view into the resources your technology transfer office provides. Include this overview in "Actively supporting the university technology transfer function". If your school doesn't have a technology transfer office, you can skip this section.
• Facilitating university-industry collaboration: The "Spin Out" section of your Landscape Canvas relates to research centers, industrial parks and industry/mentor networks and will give you a sense of whether the University is "Facilitating University-Industry Collaboration."
  
• Engaging with regional and local economic development efforts: The "Spin Out" section of your Landscape Canvas also reveals the extent to which the University is engaging with regional and local economic development efforts. Many institutions also have an economic development office and staff whose responsibility it is to leverage the University's research and development for positive local economic benefit.
  
  
  

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