Tech notes

Dec 14 2006 By Herb Kim, The Journal

Anyone who's run the gauntlet of the BBC's commissioning process knows what a bureaucratic nightmare it could be in the past - especially for creative new ideas and technology projects.

This problem wasn't exclusive to the broadcaster, though. Historically, new products and services developed by big corporations regularly took an age to get to market, with creativity often stifled or sacrificed along the way.

But in today's fiercely competitive marketplace, ideas can't hang around forever. They soon grow stale - and businesses are waking up to that fact. So, in a bid to combat the bureaucracy of the past, more and more large firms are starting to use what they're calling innovation labs.

Instead of an idea progressing slowly through various stages of development, everyone involved in the process is put together in one space at one time to come up with groundbreaking ideas.

Teams of people from different disciplines brainstorm and play with different approaches - with the goal of coming up with ideas that can be tested on customers and sped to market.

The physical set-up of an innovation lab is typically informal and eclectic, designed to maximise creativity and give the sense that hierarchical structures have been done away with. I've heard of successful ones kitted out with bean bags and comfy couches, with shuffle boards for recreation.

And now, the BBC has also opened its eyes to the benefits of innovation labs. Last month, Codeworks arranged for them to come to the North East as part of a UK-wide tour to launch Innovation Labs 07 - their quest to find the hottest ideas in technology and new media.

At the launch event, BBCi's executive commissioner (a chap by the suitably creative name of Jem Stone) outlined a series of 12 briefs that businesses in our region can pitch for through the open.bbc.co.uk/labs website - including projects such as making news services more relevant to young people.

Shortlisted ideas from the North-East will go through to the innovation lab itself - a week-long "beehive" of creativity, where the ideas will be honed to (almost) perfection with a group of experts, after which the broadcaster will be keen to develop them further and actually use them.

Innovation labs throughout the world have already given us some pioneering products over the past couple of years. Motorola's striking Razr mobile phone, which sold 12.5m units in less than a year, was developed in an innovation lab.

Now, the BBC's Innovation Labs represent a tremendous opportunity for new media companies in our region - a signal that the bureaucratic process of the past is being cancelled out by the dreams coming out of these creative hothouses. Any new media company should check out the website if they haven't already.