Empey challenges business leaders to dare to be different

Sir Reg Empey, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, has addressed over 150 Chief Executives and Senior Managers from the private and public sector throughout Northern Ireland at the Charles Handy Seminar held in St. Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast.

Speaking at the seminar Sir Reg said that Northern Ireland needed individuals who could ‘think outside the box’ and could also use their imagination to develop unique and distinct business ideas.

He added: “We must create a culture of innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset, these being key to future prosperity for small, open economies like ourselves trading internationally.

“It is only through originality and the development of a enterprising culture that economies like ours can hope to reach their full potential in the global marketplace of tomorrow.

“More and more businesses are coming to understand that for creative processes to be commercially effective they must be integrated and not added on retrospectively to products and services.

“This is partly a consequence of consumer power as the modern customer is increasingly demanding a level of uniqueness. People want products and services that suit their lifestyle, that have added value in function, form or image.

“Successful companies are those who place design and inventive thinking at the heart of their business process.”

The Minister went on to highlight how the government was developing innovation and creativity throughout Northern Ireland. This includes joint work with the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure in relation to the ‘Unlocking Creativity’ strategy which seeks to develop the creative industries.

In addition, the Minister highlighted the role of innovation as one of nine key principles underlying the development of the new single economic development agency, Invest Northern Ireland.

Charles Handy is an independent writer and broadcaster, describing himself as a social philosopher. His main concern is the implication for society and for individuals of the dramatic changes which technology and economics are bringing to the workplace and to all our lives. (MB)