Generation Innovation

Generation Innovation

Nominations coming soon!

Want to get nominated? Contact us at nispconnect@nisp.co.uk

What is Generation Innovation?

Generation Innovation is a physical and online network for Northern Ireland’s most innovative and entrepreneurial students from a wide range of backgrounds, deemed most likely to succeed in the new knowledge economy. It’s a community where those inspired by the likes of Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Apple’s Steve Jobs can take their first steps towards the weird and wonderful, and most importantly rewarding, world of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Generation Innovation’s main purpose is to build and maintain a life-long relationship with NI’s best young talent, be they high academic achievers, natural born entrepreneurs or both.  While hoping to encourage more young people to either study, work or stay here, we also urge those that do move away to continue a closer relationship with home and help build the local entrepreneurial economy.

Regardless of background or interest, whether it’s engineering, medicine, software, law, languages or any other discipline for that matter, our talented young people can use the valuable skills learnt at school to become the next generation of Northern Ireland’s innovators and entrepreneurs. And whether they plan to stay in Northern Ireland to study, head off to university across the water or even progress with their very own business venture and solve world problems, the Generation Innovation network is there to support them on their journey.

So our message to members is to be brave, be determined, and be inspired – YOU are Generation Innovation!

Why support Generation Innovation?

Northern Ireland has an opportunity to become one of the most entrepreneurial knowledge economies in Europe, but what is a knowledge economy and why is it important to our future?
A knowledge economy is based on using local people’s knowledge, skills and competencies to create innovative companies that provide solutions for many of the world’s major problems be they in communication, health, energy, environment, transport or food and water supply.  Knowledge sector jobs are typically higher paid and ultimately result in greater wealth and economic prosperity for the whole region. You can read more about the importance of developing a Knowledge Economy here.

Northern Ireland also has a proud history of innovation and entrepreneurship, once leading the world in shipbuilding and linen making as well as being the birthplace of many life changing inventions that literally changed the world. Building a Knowledge Economy is about rediscovering  and maximising those ingrained innovative and entrepreneurial skills to deliver Northern Ireland once again onto the world stage.

Key to Northern Ireland’s economic transformation to a knowledge economy is the availability of new talent through the development of home grown entrepreneurial talent from schools across Northern Ireland and the attraction of high potential entrepreneurs and executives from overseas.

As NI is not yet recognised as a destination for entrepreneurs and innovators from outside of the region we need to do everything we can to build and maintain a life-long relationship with the country’s best young talent and this is where the Generation Innovation network comes in.

The new Generation Innovation initiative delivered by NISP CONNECT in partnership with representatives from the local business community is designed to stem and eventually reverse the brain drain from Northern Ireland by building a physical and online network of Northern Ireland’s brightest and best young people.

Benefits of Membership

Becoming a member of Generation Innovation means taking proactive steps to further your career while helping to develop Northern Ireland’s economy. Along with exclusive invites to a number of annual high profile ‘Generation Innovation’ Networking Events, members of the network will be invited to join the Generation Innovation Facebook group which allows members to:

• Be inspired by and network with young entrepreneurs
  with a hunger to succeed in the knowledge based economy.
• Gain access to and have the unique opportunity to be
  guided by some of Northern Ireland’s top business people from a range of
  Science and Technology companies based in Northern Ireland and across the
  globe.
• Seek out internships and valuable business
  relationships to help develop knowledge and expertise.

As the network grows and develops, more benefits will be added and we will communicate these to members as necessary.

As members careers develop they will have the opportunity to give back to the ‘Generation Innovation’ who will succeed them. Whether based in Northern Ireland or further afield members will be able to share experiences and provide advice to those just starting out.

Generation Innovation is about being inspired and ultimately becoming an inspiration, all with the aim of encouraging more young innovators to take the plunge and consider careers in the knowledge sector or start their own businesses for the benefit of Northern Ireland’s economy.

How to become a member of Generation Innovation

Each year from the Generation Innovation network will open nominations for membership and will ask school principals/teachers to nominate high potential students whether they are academic achievers, natural born entrepreneurs or both. More details about the nomination process will be added closer to the next intake date.

The Big Idea !

We are always keen to hear ideas and suggestions from members and supporters on ways we can improve Generation Innovation to get more out of it. If you have any thoughts or ideas on what you would like to see the network do in the future, tell us and we will do our best to listen.
Contact us at nispconnect@nisp.co.uk

Generation Innovation on YouTube