Big ideas promoted in first ‘Idea Link’ competition
Released: October 18, 2004
Proof that ideas are as valuable as products in today’s business world was in great supply at the 2004 Wisconsin Innovation Service Center (WISC) conference, which featured the winners of the first ‘Idea Link’ competition with JohnsonDiversey, Inc. of Racine.
The Idea Link program, established in 2004 through University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Business Outreach Services (BOS) to build a connection between innovative companies and the campus, gives people the opportunity to earn $200 for their ideas on particular workplace challenges.
Four years ago JohnsonDiversey, looking for new ways to tap into the entrepreneur market, searched the Internet and found the WISC program. Since then, they have been building a relationship by bringing business to WISC and receiving real-world analysis and a fresh set of eyes on their problems.
Jim Scolaro, director of ideation, global development and customer solutions for JohnsonDiversey, summarized the formation of Idea Link: “We recognize that smart ideas come from everywhere and we see it as more of our responsibility to publicize the types of problems we are trying to solve and open them up to everyone.”
Debra Malewicki, director of BOS, notes that the concept behind the Idea Link program is similar to Eli Lilly’s Innocentive Program that recruits scientists from around the world to participate in research projects posted by companies, compensating the best solutions. Malewicki also pointed out a recent article in BusinessWeek magazine that talks to the trend of worldwide innovative networks being the key to the research and development drive and competitiveness in today’s business world.
Idea Link’s web site contained five challenges related to workplace cleanliness such as, “How can we make a wet floor non-slip?” and “How can we validate that a surface is sanitary?” This year’s winners of the Idea Link awards came from several different backgrounds on campus including: Christie Matteson, an elementary education major; Jacob Barnes, a music major; Henry Thiele, an accounting major; Dave Hahn, an assistant coach in intercollegiate athletics; and Sheri Walz, a lecturer in the geography and geology department. The diversity shows that one never knows where the next big idea could come from.
Currently JohnsonDiversey is working with BOS to find a way to expand the Idea Link program in different ways and even involve people not associated with the campus. “We would really like to expand this program beyond the campus to include individuals and companies participating in the conference, and also numbers of companies and entrepreneurs springing up across the state,” said Malewicki.
BOS plans on recruiting their next partner shortly, but ideally they would like to integrate companies participating in the WISC conference with the Idea Link program a run the competition twice a year. Both JohnsonDiversey and BOS have also expressed interest in partnering on this program again.
For more information on Idea Link, visit the Website at: http://academics.uww.edu/business/idea_link. For any questions, contact Jeff Herman at: (262) 472-1365, hermanj@uww.edu.
- Jon Minnick ,minnickjf01@uww.edu
