College Collaborators Building An Innovation Economy
In York County, Pennsylvania, the use of intellectual capital by industry is shaping our new innovation economy.
Through its Center for Collaborative Innovation (CCI) and the Graham Innovation Scholars program, York College of Pennsylvania (YCP) engages students and faculty in real-world projects and creates interdisciplinary learning opportunities within the York business community. In doing so, YCP prepares young talent to tackle increasingly complex innovation challenges.
“We can let our history, ‘the way we’ve always done things,’ bog us down,” says Kevin D. Jackson, senior vice president of innovation and quality at Wolf Home Products. “We need young minds with creative solutions to problems that need to be solved.”
Kerryn E. Fulton, CEO of C.S. Davidson Inc., agrees and believes York College can help break the mold and encourage innovation. “They can help us by preparing students to show us what’s possible and offer the community solutions that drive innovation forward one step at a time.”
At Benjamin & Bond, a health care innovation company based in downtown York, collaboration exists at the intersection of design and technology. “Fulfilling our value proposition as a design-centric innovation company is dependent on our ability to approach health care challenges from fresh perspectives,” says CEO Mark Kandrysawtz, “ensuring that we don’t assimilate into the status quo. We deploy creative professionals, journalists and anthropologists to research and design new models for health care.
“As designers, we are adamant that the voice of the customer is represented in the innovation process — that rarely happens in health care,” he continues. “By collaborating with York College — especially through the School of Nursing and Health Professions and its Engineering programs — we can bring students directly into the innovation process as representatives of their demographic.”
“I don’t think my business would exist in York without York College,” adds Mark Zeleznock, CEO of Dataforma. “York College attracts talented students and faculty. Businesses like mine are looking for that talent when building multidisciplinary teams. I believe the success of York and York County is directly related to the success of York College.”
YRK PERSPECTIVES:
What Is a Creator and Maker?
“A creator is one who has enough hope and vision to dream something new. A maker implements the blueprint with preciseness.”
— Kevin D. Jackson, Senior Vice President, Innovation & Quality, Wolf Home Products
- 441 Country Club Rd. York, PA 17403
- 717.846.7788