According to historians the wheel was invented over 6,000 years ago in Lower Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), where the Sumerian people inserted rotating axles into solid discs of wood. However, the wheel invention has been innovated ever since leading on to the agricultural revolution that changed man (and women) kind.
There are many interpretations and explanations for innovations, for me it is simply fixing things or making them better or more relevantly adding value. Which is exactly what I have had a passion for, for as long as I can remember.
Take the internet, it was developed for the military as a communication tool. Now it is at the core of our lives for nearly every personal and professional action and interaction in our lives. All of us feel included and inspired through this innovation. Leading to further positive transformative change.
Starting as a temp in the call centre and progressing my way up, to lead on innovation through IT Service Delivery nationally, my applied innovation skills were fully tested and developed during my decade long career at Telewest.
In addition to my technical roles, I also led on staff engagement through publishing an in-house magazine. Aptly named “Combopolitan”, as we delivered two services at the time. Having recently moved home, and being a hoarder, I came across lots of memorabilia including these magazines.
One of the articles I had written in 1995 was about the Internet and how Telewest was leading on its own Cable Internet service. Rather than the dial up service provided by a third party for BT Customers. Telewest went onto to lead the commercialisation of broadband nationally, which I was delighted to play a small part.
From an innovation perspective the Internet is arguably one of the greatest inventions and innovations ever. Forming the backbone for pretty much everything we do. However, innovation is far more than simply making things better, it drives inclusion and inspiration. Which is something I have become distinctly more aware of for the past 30 years or so.
An invention tends to be specifically focused towards an exclusive individual, or group of individuals, rather than everyone that may use the product or service. Whereas innovation takes the product or service and opens it up to everyone. Encouraging, enabling and empowering others to make constant improvements so that more people can benefit.
For the past three years I have been incredibly fortunate to work with the Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) for the North East and North Cumbria (NENC). The foremost innovation led organisation that is part of the NHS and responsible for supporting innovation in and out of our Health Service.
Working in partnership with hundreds of organisations, I have seen first-hand how the AHSN NENC has managed to engage and influence all communities to help bring innovation to life, through inclusion, literally saving lives and improving livelihoods. Leading to more clinical entrepreneurs being inspired to have a bigger and better impact on us all. Which is what I would love to see us all doing more of.
Just like the wheel was innovated to lead onto one of my favourite quiz shows, the Wheel of Fortune, let’s create an innovation revolution that positively influences inclusion and inspires others to do the same. Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a positive, innovative led New Year.
God Bless, Ammar.