Industry Innovation Project

FAQ

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• What is a complex challenge?

  A complex challenge is characterised by its multiple, interconnected elements, lack of clear solutions, and the need for adaptable strategies. Complex challenges often involve uncertainty, diverse perspectives, and require creative, transdisciplinary and collaborative problem-solving approaches.

  Whilst you cannot “solve” a complex challenge, through transdisciplinary tools and approaches like those taught at TD School, our students can provide ideas and transform how your organisation makes progress towards a preferred future state.

  The Industry Innovation Project is designed for challenges where the problem is understood, but the solution is not yet known. Rather than seeking a single "right answer", student teams explore the challenge from multiple angles, helping organisations uncover fresh insights, innovative ideas and potential future opportunities.

• How does the partnership work?

  Over 13 weeks in the Autumn semester, two transdisciplinary teams of final year BCII students work on the same organisational challenge. Each team conducts their own research and develops distinct insights, opportunities and recommendations, which will give your organisation multiple perspectives on the same challenge. 

  Throughout the project, students and partners will be supported by academic staff through regular meetings and milestone reviews.

• What kinds of activities will students undertake?

  Throughout the Industry Innovation Project, students work through three key phases designed to help them explore, reframe and respond to your organisations challenge.

  • Exploration and Generation: Students undertake research to better understand the challenge, its context and the broader systems in which it exists. Draw on methods from across the BCII degree, teams investigate opportunities, engage with stakeholders and generate a range of potential directions.
  • Reframing and Adaption: Student teams present their emerging insights and a reframed interpretation of the challenge to their partner and academic tutor. Feedback from these discussions will help the team refine their focus and identify the most promising opportunities to pursue.
  • Realisation and Refinement: Teams further develop, test and refine their ideas through iterative cycles of analysis, experimentation and feedback. The project culminates in a final presentation and report, where students share their insights, recommendations and proposed pathways forward.

• What commitment is required from our organisation?

  Each organisation nominates a Project Lead as the primary contact for the student teams, as well as an Executive Sponsor who can provide strategic input and organisational context. Partners can expect to commit to at least 15-18 hours across the 13 weeks through onboarding activities, regular team meetings, milestone reviews and the final presentation. 

• How do I apply to become an IIP partner?

  Organisations apply by submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) outlining their proposed challenge. The IIP team may provide feedback to help strengthen the submission before it’s shared to the students for voting. Once EOIs close, students vote on the projects they are most interested in working on, and successful partners are invited to participate in the program.

• What will our organisation receive?

  At the conclusion of the project, each student team delivers an independent response to your challenge including a final presentation and report outlining their research findings, opportunities and recommendations. Read our case studies below to learn more from our previous partners experiences.