About innovation

This engaging video conveys key aspects of innovation for students. It explores the meaning and the process of innovation, why it’s important for New Zealand and how skills and attitudes needed for an innovative society can be fostered from a young age.

Transcript

MEREMAIHI
Innovation. It’s a word that we hear a lot today. What’s it all about?

SOL
Innovation can be hard to explain as it’s used by a lot of people to describe a lot of different things.

HOLLY
Is innovation only about big changes – or could it be about small steps?

MEREMAIHI
Is it just about new ideas – or can it be about improved ideas?

SOL
Is it about different ways of doing things – or is it only about new products?

HOLLY
So do different innovations have anything in common?

MEREMAIHI
All innovation involves change.

SOL
It’s about creating value for people by solving a problem or meeting a need.

HOLLY
Through coming up with new ideas or new ways of doing things.

MEREMAIHI
Or by making improvements to something that already exists.

HOLLY
Innovation is an activity that begins with an idea.

It might result in a product that you sell or in a new way of doing something.

However, all innovation needs to create value for people. Otherwise, it’s not innovation, it’s just an idea.

SOL
All innovation involves a process.

Most innovation involves these steps.

Coming up with ideas.

HOLLY
Choosing and developing the idea.

MEREMAIHI
Researching, developing and testing.

SOL
Convincing others.

HOLLY
Seeing your idea being used or adopted by others    .

SOL
This makes it sound easy, but sometimes some steps take longer than you planned or you need to repeat them or even start again.

HOLLY
There are lots of different kinds of innovation. Different types of people are innovators too.

MEREMAIHI
Each innovation process involves a unique range of people – people with different personalities like leaders, followers, risk-takers, doers, planners.

Also people with different knowledge and skills, like scientists, engineers, technologists, manufacturers, marketing experts and lawyers.

SOL
All these people might not even be in the same place at the same time.

HOLLY
So why do we need innovation?

MEREMAIHI
To make the most of opportunities to develop new ways of doing things in a changing world.

SOL
To solve the problems we face now and in the future to keep New Zealand moving forward.

HOLLY
Innovation can benefit all New Zealanders.

EDUCATOR
Best of all, the skills, attitudes and values needed for an innovative society can be fostered from a young age through formal and informal learning opportunities.

Creating an innovative society starts in the classroom.

Creating innovators can start here!

Acknowledgements
Meremaihi Jackson
Sol Maxwell
Holly Clout
Moana Ete

anim8a
Hutt Intermediate School

Studio furniture supplied by FURNWARE LTD

Additional footage from ‘Created Here’ courtesy of NZTE

Comvita
Revolution Fibres
Scion
Zespri
Riddet Institute
AgResearch, Invermay
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Zealong Tea