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Innovation communities are incubators for knowledge and entreprenuerial cooperation. The work to revive cities, as new business models for corpoerations and more. These incubators are succesful in a wide range of cases. They are also named flexhubs, flexspaces, flexworking or open plan office spaces, but these are not as integrated as innovation communities. This also works for sustainable redevelopment in cities and economic renewal of depressed areas. They attact young, entrepreneurial people, artist, and creative industries.
Innovation Communities Innovative business models for a dynamic world
Innovation communities (ICs) combine the best of the corporate world with the best of the entrepreneurial spirit. These flexible business models revive urban areas, react quickly to market changes and create new and engaging innovations in all disciplines.
These next generation collaborative workplaces succeed where open offices, flex work or business hubs often fail, and form a strong platform for innovators and entrepreneurs alike.
Setting up an IC?
Except provides the following IC services:
1 - Innovation Community Scan
The IC Scan tells you what type of IC is a good idea for your business, city or neighborhood, and most likely to succeed, as well as what size should it be and where it should be located.
2 - Integrated IC Development
Scan, design and development of ICs from start to finish, anywhere in the world, ensuring quality, sustainable operations, and custom built for client and community.
3 - Interior Design & Production
All ICs have custom built furniture to maximize their atmosphere, functionality and style. We design and produce sustainable interiors for ICs.
4 - Innovation Community Design
This service finds the building and develops the business case, layout, design of the IC. It determines the right ingredients of the IC that create the largest benefits for you.
5 - Adaptive Building Redesign
Making use of existing empty real estate is a smart move for ICs: they bring character and reduce costs. Except redevelops and adapts buildings for ICs.
6 - IC Management & Evolution
Day to day operation management and consulting for ICs, helping them evolve and stay ahead of the curve in a changing world.
There are many different ways to set up ICs. Some are based on time sharing, others on space sharing, some are incubators, others knowledge and network hubs. ICs work best when custom developed for their specific context, either independent or as part of a larger company or initiative.
Smart ICs
Except’s Innovation Communities (ICs) are designed for and tuned to their local conditions, and can change over time. ICs are financially independent, inspiring communities of professionals constantly looking for new ways to improve work, life, innovation and/or entrepreneurship.
Where some flex work, open offices or local community systems fail, ICs can succeed. ICs can be set up within existing companies, or created from scratch to convert empty or abandoned buildings into strong communities. Rather than implementing pre-determined and often rigid business models from a book, Except makes flexible business models for the real world.
Walking the talk
Except has developed a variety of ICs since 2003 as part of its portfolio of sustainable development services. Due to their success, Except has turned itself into a special type of IC: the Cell Organization, and with it increased its capacity and innovation speed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are ICs for?
ICs have a lot to offer in many circumstances. For instance, for a company trying to find news ways of accelerating your innovation and development, a city wanting to support local economies and entrepreneurial development, or an entrepreneur looking to start a collaboration with other independents in your surroundings.
What do ICs do?
Our world is changing. Around the world we see communities of entrepreneurs and creative industries merge and invent the solutions for tomorrow, bypassing large monolithic companies in innovation ability and economic capacity. ICs are an optimized form of this new type of business model, custom developed to suit specific needs and situations, and benefiting from Except's experience in ICs.
What makes ICs successful?
The fastest moving companies now are those that have highly flexible and resilient corporate structures, often made up of groups of independent contractors. They seamlessly move between online and offline tools and networks, connect knowledge with abilities, short communication lines and a high level of personal dedication and energy from each individual involved.
How do ICs work?
ICs allow people to maximize their performance when working, because they work the way that best works for them, be inspired by one another and increase productivity. ICs work because they connect innovative individuals to each other as well as to the tools and services they need to operate. ICs can function as fundamental platforms for knowledge creation and sharing as well as enabling new network economies to flourish.
What is the urban benefit?
When placed strategically in the urban context, ICs can revive local conditions, bring new economies to the surface and stimulate social and cultural development. ICs can succesfully convert empty real estate into thriving economies.
Want to know more?
We're happy to talk to you about your ideas about ICs for your purposes. Send us an email with your details or question and an IC expert will contact you soon.
