As a sustainable long-term partnership, the Biobord network has defined its operating and co-working practices for inter-regional co-operation in the field of bioeconomy innovation. Developed in RDI2Club, Biobord Operating Model is a collection of network and platform management documents, guides for network partners, and user manuals on the Biobord platform. Its purpose is to guide the activities of the Biobord network and to define the administration of the Biobord platform.
In ConnectedByBiobord project, the Biobord Operating Model has been upgraded completely (including all connected documents) to reflect the lessons learned from innovation piloting and from the extension of the network. The structure was re-formatted to enhance user-friendliness, and to make the content easy to update. Also, new documents, the Biobord Network Agenda, and the Innovation process guide have been introduced.
One of the main lessons of the innovation piloting has been the concept of joint agenda and the related Joint Agenda Canvas tool for defining network initiatives. The Joint Agenda Canvas offers a tool for defining the feasibility, viability, and desirability of a network initiative. It is based on the Business Model Canvas tool and adapted to present and assess a network process.
As a result of the innovation pilots, the network partners have identified joint agendas on:
- Sustainable Food System
- Digital Forestry
- New technologies for wild-life monitoring
The established joint agendas are accompanied by the network co-working principles for the joint agenda co-operation defined in the innovation process guide (available online).
As one of the main guiding principles for developing the network operating model, we maintained a mantra of ‘keep it simple!’. This guideline might be simple, but not always easy to implement in inter-regional co-operation involving actors from different fields and sectors. In any case, we upgraded platform navigation features, structured network management documentation, and designed guides and tutorial videos with this principle in mind.
As a result, we now have a section ‘What can we do for you?’ at the About -page that features relevant and targeted information for:
We have designed a set of Biobord User Guides (1-5) and Biobord Network Partner Guides (1-3) as practical manuals guiding activities in the network and at the platform. User guides are accompanied by video tutorials that feature different platform functions in 3-10 minutes.
The platform management and network administration have been streamlined with clearer roles for the partners and the Network Secretary. As the Network Secretary, JAMK has taken some of the administrative burden and quality assurance tasks under their administration. These include e.g. the organization of the data protection, handling of partner applications, and the content creation in the Biobord platform.
As an extra benefit of the design of the innovation process, we also opted to utilize the Joint Agenda Canvas to develop the Biobord Network Agenda. This approach gave as an opportunity to elaborate, prioritize, and summarize the essential information and the concept of the Biobord network into two pages. Coming from the well-over hundred-page operating model to a two-page agenda is not only a victory for our future communication efforts, but it is also a showcase of improved understanding of the core purpose and value of the network co-operation.
We now have a clear value proposition for current and future partners supported by an upgraded network agreement that will be signed by the partners in Autumn 2021. All ready to future co-operation!
Read more of our Biobord Network Agenda