best practices implementation

EXPERIENCE IN SUSTAINING ENTERPRISES

 

Members of our team have implemented this approach to help mission-oriented enterprises benefit from the tailored adoption of best practices.

ESTABLISHING AND SUSTAINING A SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH INSTITUTION IN A FORMER SOVIET REPUBLIC

  • Worked with domestic industry and agency leadership to define long-term needs and options to support to domestic industrial safety and environmental programs
  • Worked with multiple stakeholders to develop a concept for a national lab to fill existing technical resource gaps
  • Worked with indigenous stakeholders and a multilateral (G-7) partnership to identify funding and strategic research, engineering and training objectives and needs
  • Prepared detailed conceptual and development plans addressing agreed mission and consequent start-up activities to be carried out in partnership with G-7 institutions and contractors
  • In partnership with municipal and regional agencies, reviewed potential facility sites and selected a former hospital for re-development of lab, office and training spaces
  • Provided oversight during construction and managed equipment acquisition and installation
  • Scoped and initiated multiple technical programs aligned with lab mission and partner funding priorities
  • Leveraged local and regional opportunities to establish long-term environmental monitoring of land, water and biota and facilitated joint implementation with international partners
  • Coordinated international support to development and delivery of industrial safety training curricula
  • Established twinning relationships between indigenous technical staff and counterparts in international science and technology organizations

This approach initiated the long-term development of the organization in a manner that simultaneously created value for indigenous industry and international partners, leading to many long-term relationships that continue to sustain the enterprise.

EXPANSION OF A NATIONAL LABORATORY’S SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MISSION TO SUPPORT REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

  • Worked with regional industry and agency leadership to define options to create a sustainable regional economy by leveraging ongoing national investments in existing industry
  • Worked with multiple stakeholders to attract new commercial ventures
  • Developed new technology test and demonstration infrastructure to support emerging entrepreneurs
  • Provided opportunities for workforce skills development
  • Opened lab facilities to outside researchers
  • Helped to write grants to national funding sources

Effective actions by this R&D enterprise helped significantly to launch and sustain key regional efforts to diversify and expand the regional economy by focusing on technologies that are aligned with national and regional needs, workforce skills and emerging markets, thus assisting the enterprise to sustain itself within an expanding and highly competitive market.

LEVERAGING DONOR INVESTMENT IN NEW PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO CREATE THE BASIS FOR LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY

  • Worked with donor and host agencies to develop strategic business plans and corresponding action plans focused on acquiring post-donor funding
  • Provided staff training in several business development and related commercialization capabilities
  • Helped to create a Business Development Unit to serve ongoing sustainment needs
  • Identified potential strategies for stakeholder engagement, strategic partnering, marketing and sales, and long-term product and service development
  • Supported initial engagement with potential clients in key regional and European markets

These actions helped to broaden the opportunities for this national science and technology resource to serve local, regional and international market needs.

Maintaining Up-to-Date Knowledge and Approaches

The Intersect Insight team also monitors how these practices may be evolving over time, as well as emerging trends in institutional and enterprise sustainability and related topics, to identify potential new practices that might serve as sustainability “game changers.”  We plan to address new needs and opportunities such as the “internet of things,” quantum computing and blockchain technology in future posts.