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We know innovators are always thirsty for knowledge and the latest intelligence. At Innovate UK, we believe in the power of diverse perspectives to drive innovation, spark dialogue, and inspire change. Our podcasts are dedicated to sharing thought-provoking perspectives, expert opinions, and industry analysis that illuminate key trends, challenges, and opportunities in a range of sectors and in the innovation ecosystem. Innovate UK is the UK’s innovation agency. It works to create a better future by inspiring, involving and investing in businesses developing life-changing innovations. Its mission is to help companies to grow through their development and commercialisation of new products, processes and services, supported by an outstanding innovation ecosystem that is agile, inclusive and easy to navigate. Innovate UK Business Connect is the new name for Innovate UK KTN, part of the Innovate UK System. For more information on how you can get support or join us at one of our events, visit our website https://iuk.ktn-uk.org/ or contact us on enquiries@iuk.ktn-uk.org.
Episodes
Wednesday Mar 27, 2024
KTN Age Innovators - Episode 4: Activating Our Ageing Population
Wednesday Mar 27, 2024
Wednesday Mar 27, 2024
Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Manager, Karen Wilkinson, introduces listeners to leading researchers and innovators whose work has the potential to support us as we age.
Brought to you by the Healthy Ageing Challenge Community of Practice, hosted by Innovate UK, this series spotlights the pioneering innovations being developed to shape the future of our longevity and explores the inspiration behind the work that’s currently taking place.
Episode 4: Activating Our Ageing Population
How can technology and innovation support us as we age? And how on earth might they make someone’s kitchen bigger? In this episode of The Age Innovators, host Julia Glenn, Design Innovation Lead from the Innovate UK Healthy Ageing Challenge, talks to John Hymus, MD of Innerva - the healthy ageing, therapy, and rehabilitation solution, to explore these questions and more.
Bringing intelligent technology into the care market Innerva is a UK-based designer and manufacturer of power-assisted exercise and wellbeing equipment, which provides a ‘helping hand’ in a low impact, full-body workout circuit for exercisers who demand to work smart and effectively.
Innerva users include the over 65s and people living with disabilities, those with poor mobility, people with long-term health conditions and those in need of rehabilitation therapies.
Join Julia and John as they discuss how Innerva's exercise equipment works, the benefits of isokinetic strength training in rehabilitation, and the company's mission to promote healthy and active aging. John will walk you through the practical aspects, providing insights into how Innerva aims to help people improve their daily movement.
Learn how digitising exercise equipment is enabling data capture and gamification, the importance of co-design and testing the user experience in live environments, and why the Innerva team is continually iterating to produce equipment that’s both engaging and effective.
John also reveals the five elements of healthy ageing, the research methodologies encouraging a community of people to exercise together, and the power of social wellbeing to combat loneliness and drive behaviour change. Oh, and he reveals the secret to the expanding kitchen too.
Wednesday Mar 20, 2024
KTN Age Innovators - Episode 3: The Medicine of Cricket
Wednesday Mar 20, 2024
Wednesday Mar 20, 2024
Episode 3 — The Medicine of Cricket
Can sport break down the barriers around ethnicity, age, and gender? In this, the third episode of Age Innovators, host Helen Crampin, Innovation and Technology Lead from the Innovate UK Healthy Ageing Challenge, talks to Alosh K Jose, co-founder and CEO of Newcastle-based Cricketqube, to explore this question and more.
Cricketqube is an evidence- and data-backed Community Interest Company. The company’s aim is to make cricket accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. Founders Anish John— a former international indoor cricketer who has represented India at the senior level—and former schools cricketer, Alosh K Jose, identified that the older South Asian members of their local community in Newcastle lacked access to accessible—and affordable–activities that could maintain and increase their health and fitness.
“When there is a financial crisis, paying for physical activity is one of the first things to be cut. The South Asian community in the UK, especially Bangladeshis and Pakistanis, have the lowest median income across any ethnic group in the UK, so paying for activities is out of the question.” - Alosh K Jose, co-founder and CEO of Cricketqube
With their understanding of the different cultural nuances, religious sentiments, and connections within the wider South Asian community, Cricketqube has tailored an innovative programme that’s successfully encouraging their target audience to participate in games of cricket as a way to stay fit and well.
“I wanted to democratise access to cricket and make sure anyone who wants to can play, whether they’ve got access to a club or don’t have the hundreds of pounds you need to buy the kit.” - Alosh K Jose, co-founder and CEO of Cricketqube
- Discover how Alosh and Anish’s approach has managed to change people’s perceptions and behaviours within the South Asian community.
- Listen to how they’ve nurtured a growing community space where people of all ages and from all religions and subcultures are sharing skills, sharing food, and making new friends and connections.
- And learn how evidence and data from the project and its resulting collaborations are driving new and similar projects—including the development of an app—to ensure exercise and activity is accessible and available to minority communities across the UK.
Wednesday Mar 06, 2024
Age Innovators - Episode 2: Supporting Healthy Ageing At Work
Wednesday Mar 06, 2024
Wednesday Mar 06, 2024
In this episode of ‘Age Innovators’, Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Manager, Karen Wilkinson, introduces listeners to leading researchers and innovators whose work has the potential to support us as we age.
Brought to you by the Healthy Ageing Challenge Community of Practice, hosted by Innovate UK, this series spotlights the pioneering innovations being developed to shape the future of our longevity and explores the inspiration behind the work that’s currently taking place.
Supporting Healthy Ageing at Work
In today’s older workforce, the fact that one in three people is aged 50 or over poses myriad issues for our economy, social wellbeing, and our health and wellbeing. With around 20% of people in their fifties retiring before they choose to because of health issues, this episode of Age Innovators explores whether a deeper understanding and the provision of more practical and relevant support could help to change that statistic.
Our host Elaine Douglas, Associate Professor in Ageing at the University of Stirling, talks to Wendy Loretto, Professor of Organisational Behaviour, and Dr Belinda Steffan, Senior Research Fellow both from the SHAW project at the University of Edinburgh Business School (UEBS) and to Mike Douglas, Director of Age Scotland.
The SHAW project (Supporting Healthy Ageing at Work) at UEBS is exploring how we might extend healthy ageing in the workplace so that workers have a high quality of working life for longer. The project is inviting employers, employees, professional bodies, and other key stakeholders to come together with the aim of deepening our understanding of how best to support, enable, and empower people over 50 to remain in work.
We hear how the project’s research into the impact of hidden health issues like the muscular skeletal impact of sedentary work, cognitive ageing and decline, and menopause is leading to the development of practical help, including:
- The launch of a new research-based app with an AI chatbot interface that will give the over-50s a better understanding of their health and empower employees to ask for the support they need from their managers.
- A co-designed diagnostic menopause support tool which aims to reduce the number of women leaving work due to challenging menopause symptoms and improve workplace culture around menopause awareness.
“The first thing that comes to my mind when imagining the ideal future workplace for an older worker? More individualised support to support a range of both visible and hidden health factors—and a reduction in the tension around discussing heath issues and the removal of taboo and stigma as we increase awareness.” - Belinda Steffan, Senior Research Fellow at The University of Edinburgh Business School
You’ll discover how the provision of a safe platform can be the key to unlocking powerful conversations in the workplace around sensitive or taboo issues. Learn how the ongoing research has already identified the important role line managers can play in supporting people’s health. And find out how a training course developed by Age Scotland is upskilling employers to have the conversations needed to create more inclusive and supportive workplace cultures.
The team’s person-centric approach is breaking down barriers and beginning to transform older people’s experiences at work for the better, enabling people to better understand—and communicate—their health support needs.
“We’re all different, and those differences become more apparent as we age. Whether that’s the state of our health, our life circumstances, and how and when we choose to retire. We all have a role to play in challenging the myth of the ideal worker who’s always in peak health and is always productive. When it comes to policy, we need to move the conversation forward so we can accept people as they are and empower them to ask for the help they need to feel supported at work.” - Wendy Loretto, Professor of Organisational Behaviour at The University of Edinburgh
Tuesday Feb 27, 2024
Silent Designers Episode 7 - Yasmin Ali, RWE
Tuesday Feb 27, 2024
Tuesday Feb 27, 2024
Can design take us to unexpected places?
In this, seventh episode of Silent Designers, this month’s guest, Yasmin Ali, explores the theme of Net Zero and Sustainable Technologies, discusses the unexpected ways in which hydrogen could decarbonise our world, and reveals the most effective deployments of hydrogen happening in industry today.
Award-winning chartered engineer, Yasmin Ali, is a Hydrogen Project Development Manager at RWE—a leading supplier of renewables worldwide. She’s also the author of the book Power Up, which looks at global energy systems and the energy transition.
Join us as Yasmin explains the impact of design on her work and her interpretation of the word ‘design’ and what it means to her.
“For many people, the word ‘design’ conjures up images of fashion or graphic design. I think of it more as a thinking process to come up with a way of solving a problem or achieving something that hasn’t been done before.” - Yasmin Ali, Hydrogen Project Development Manager at RWE
Listen as Yasmin:
- Explores the importance of habit change in the adoption of hydrogen as a renewable energy
- Explains how she applies design thinking to enhance her working relationships and communications
- Reveals why her love of the energy sector and of writing resulted in the publication of Power Up
“It’s interesting to see what happens when you think about design differently and incorporate design thinking to creative problem solving.” - Yasmin Ali, Hydrogen Project Development Manager at RWE
Monday Feb 19, 2024
Age Innovators - Episode 1: Language of Care
Monday Feb 19, 2024
Monday Feb 19, 2024
Introduction to the series
In this new Innovate UK Business Connect podcast series, Age Innovators, we meet researchers and innovators whose work has the potential to support us as we age. Brought to you by the Healthy Ageing Challenge Community of Practice and hosted by Innovate UK, this series spotlights the pioneering innovations being developed to shape the future of our longevity and explores the inspiration behind the work that’s currently taking place.
Episode 1: Language of Care
Can we harness advances in innovation and technology and use them to support the needs of an ageing population? In this episode of Age Innovators, host Julia Glenn, former Innovate UK Design Innovation Lead for the UKRI Healthy Ageing Challenge, talks to Toby Venning and Caleb Adamu, co-founders of care coordination platform, Elate, to explore this question and more.
Bringing intelligent technology into the care market
Developed by Cross Digital Ltd, Elate is an app that aims to help older people and their families navigate the complex world of care in all its forms using technology.
Elate’s co-founders, Toby Venning and Caleb Adamu, have applied co-design principles and the Design Council’s double diamond methodology to develop the app’s intelligent technology which meets the specific and evolving needs of the care sector.
“The catalyst for the project was listening to my own parents struggling to look after both sets of their own parents. Trying to understand their different needs, trying to work out the right care path, understanding the nuances of domestic and domiciliary care—and trying to do all that from a distance.”
Toby Venning, Elate co-founder and CEO
The language of care
Working with four user groups, including care providers, paid and unpaid care workers, people in need of care, and those peoples’ families and friends, Elate’s mission is to empower people to live with grace, joy, and dignity.
This is evident in their use of the Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver stages of the double diamond. And their iterative approach has seen the adaptation of users’ language to ensure product specifications are accessible and fit for purpose.
The Elate app enables people to be proactive and design their own care pathway. It frees carers from repetitive paperwork, and enables carers to interact more with the person in their care.
“Improving the welfare of carers is very much at the forefront of what we’re trying to do—making their lives easier in terms of support with planning, assessments, and finding recommendations that best suit the end user’s needs.”
Caleb Adamu, elate co-founder and CTO
Discover how the sensitivity of Elate’s approach to technological innovation is helping people navigate the different types of care available for family members. And how their co-design process is working to promote both the needs of the person needing care—and their carers—in the care paradigm.
By integrating technology, data, analytics, and user-centered design, Elate is introducing people to personalised technology that’s designed for them and that will design the right sort of care to meet their needs—rather than forcing something to fit.
Monday Jan 22, 2024
Silent Designers Episode 6 - Ahmed Wobi, Tonus Tech
Monday Jan 22, 2024
Monday Jan 22, 2024
How AI and design thinking are helping us live better for longer
In this, the sixth episode of Silent Designers, Steve Welch and guest, Ahmed Wobi, explore the theme of healthy living and tech.
Award winning writer, director—and national basketball champion, Ahmed Wobi, is also the co-founder of Tonus Tech. Tonus Tech provides preventative health companies with wearable solutions and AI-driven movement analysis and personalised workout programmes to optimise people's fitness age.
Ahmed and his team’s focus is on keeping people moving better for longer using sensors and artificial intelligence.
Join us as Ahmed explains how his academic medical background helped him apply creative design thinking to the early discovery stages of his formative research areas. How AI is enabling academics to manipulate large data sets – lowering the threshold for early exploration and encouraging greater experimentation. And the impact his experiences as a national basketball champion have had on his career.
“When you play sport at a formal level, you have to be able to make quick decisions and know how the members of your team will react. That translates to life in general but also to academia, entrepreneurism, and design, because there’s an iterative process in going back to concepts, in trial and error, and then in testing what works and what doesn’t.”
Ahmed Wobi, Co-founder of Tonus Tech
Listen as Ahmed shares:
· The positive implications AI tech holds for our better health and fitness
· Why it’s crucial to embed people from diverse backgrounds into early stage design processes
· The importance of user-focused design
“Design processes? They will take you on interesting journeys...”
Ahmed Wobi, Co-founder of Tonus Tech
Friday Jan 19, 2024
Friday Jan 19, 2024
In episode 6 of the IETF podcast, Jenni McDonnell MBE sits down with Simon Proctor from Mitsubishi Chemicals UK and James Findlay from Esseco Group.
We explore the challenges faced by the chemicals industry as it strives to achieve the ambitious target of net zero emissions. Our conversation delves into the innovative strategies both organisations are looking to adopt, supported by the IETF. Join us for this discussion on the chemical sector's journey towards sustainability, unraveling the transformative measures shaping its commitment to a greener future.
Guests:
Simon Proctor | Head of Project Puma - Mitsubishi Chemicals UK
James Findlay | Financial Controller & Company Secretary - Esseco Group
Find more information, and earlier episodes, at https://iuk.ktn-uk.org/news/industrial-energy-transformation-fund-podcast-series/
Tuesday Nov 07, 2023
Tuesday Nov 07, 2023
Welcome to episode 5 of the IETF podcast, where we have the privilege of hearing from Guy Armitage of the York Handmade Brick Company and Stephane Vissiere representing Wienerberger.
In this episode, we discuss the unique challenges that the ceramic sector collectively faces as it moves towards the ambitious goal of achieving net-zero emissions. Our discussion also delves into the innovative strategies these companies are hoping to implement with support from the IETF. Join us for this insightful discussion of the ceramic sector's path to sustainability.
Guests:
Guy Armitage | Managing Director – York Handmade Brick Company
Stephane Vissiere | Wienerberger
Tuesday Nov 07, 2023
Tuesday Nov 07, 2023
In this episode, we speak to Calvin Winch from Britvic and Andy McKnight from Heineken about the decarbonisation journey faced by the food and drink industry.
Our podcast takes a deep dive into the many challenges that the food and drink sector faces as it moves towards achieving net zero emission targets. We explore the advantages of having an engaged public aligned with the 2050 net zero goals, how it has spurred a shift in consumer preferences towards companies committed to reaching them. Additionally, we discuss the pivotal role decarbonisation plays in the fabric of both companies and the innovative strategies employed to bolster the resilience and sustainability of their operations.
Guests:
Wednesday Oct 25, 2023
Silent Designers Episode 5 - Mark Price, Biohaviour
Wednesday Oct 25, 2023
Wednesday Oct 25, 2023
What role can design play in our journey to Net Zero?
In this fifth episode of Silent Designers, we explore the theme of net zero and sustainable technologies with guest, Mark Price.
A professor of Aeronautics at Queen's University Belfast, Mark Price is also the co-founder of Biohaviour, a research initiative exploring bio-inspired rules for innovative engineering design.
Biohavior aims to bring bio-inspired concepts and ideas into the realm of engineering design and cloud-based manufacturing within a single fully integrated environment.
“I’ve found that the decisions that design supports are absolutely critical, not just for products, but for businesses and organisations as a whole and beyond.”
Mark Price, Professor of Aeronautics at Queen's University Belfast and co-founder of Biohaviour
On making things better and making things differently
Join us as Mark explains how the challenge of Net Zero has driven a shift in his thinking beyond his background as a systems engineer in the aircraft industry to his discovery that design thinking can help us challenge requirements, lessen constraints, and open up new paths to innovation.
“When you innovate as an academic your inclination is to peel everything back, layer by layer and put foundational principles in place as you learn about the different frameworks. But it’s only then, as you begin to learn about a system, that you can open up different avenues of thought and start to explore new opportunities.”
Mark Price, Professor of Aeronautics at Queen's University Belfast and co-founder of Biohaviour
Listen as Mark shares:
- The understanding of foundational principles that can open up new avenues of thought
- The potential of bio-inspired systems to create new products, processes, and systems
- How design thinking can help us reach Net Zero
And discover how the incorporation of design thinking in one’s own practice demands a high level of self-reflection and questioning.
Click here to read the transcript.