THE BUSINESS OF INNOVATION
DALE KING PNAC Cluster Director
The business model of the PNAA ’ s Pacific Northwest Aerospace Cluster ( PNAC ) Project is based in the world of startup entrepreneurship and lean innovation . Over the last few decades , in that world of incubating new companies , the idea of collaborating with your customer to solve their problems has become a predominant approach . The thinking is , if you really care about helping your customer , you won ’ t just guess about what they need , you ’ ll know it - because curiosity and sustained engagement is built into what you do .
First and foremost , the PNAC Team learns from its aerospace stakeholders . “ There is a significant need to further understand the strengths , weaknesses , opportunities and threats that are inherent in such an expansive manufacturing industry ,” says Robin Toth , the Governor ’ s Sector Lead Director of Aerospace at the Washington State Department of Commerce . “ This
information will be beneficial in informing stakeholders – whether educators , legislators , Department of Commerce and others – of investments , significant upskilling opportunities or new legislative applications that will ensure retention and growth of this industry over the next 100 years .”
If you were a part of the PNAC innovation process , what would you be in for ? Figure 1 shows the assembly line for innovation . The process starts with the manufacturers raising the issues impacting their businesses . We then form innovation working groups ( IWGs ) comprised of other members of the aerospace ecosystem to step through a process which questions assumptions and clarifies problems . Next , we identify the owners of those problems and interview them to develop profiles of what they do , their pain points , and the outcomes they are aiming to either achieve or avoid . The profiles we develop are used as the foundation for developing novel solutions that are informed by a multifaceted understanding of the problem .
68 NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS
PNAA ADVANCE / 2023
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