Has collaboration gone mainstream in 2015? I am inclined to say ‘yes’ despite my feeling to the contrary. This year I have noticed a marked increase in both discussion about the practice and what it means for business, government, universities, the community sector, and individuals, I have also heard commentary that collaboration is now the mainstay of all industries. Certainly there is evidence to support the fact that major competitive businesses realise that collaboration is not to be avoided. However my sense is that the gap between aspirations and actions are still too wide to declare 2015 as the year that collaboration became mainstream. Happy to be wrong though. Here is this week’s list of recommended reading.

Sincere thanks to those who have suggested articles for this edition of Roadmender Recommends.

Marketing, Sales Departments Improve Collaboration Efforts

Among all marketers surveyed, 70 percent said that they want to meet with their sales teams more frequently to review and discuss strategy. Communication between marketing and sales departments within business to business (B2B) organizations remains challenged, according to a ToutApp survey of more than 300 B2B marketers across the U.S. mong all marketers surveyed, 70 percent said that they want to meet with their sales teams more frequently to review and discuss strategy. When asked to describe how effective or ineffective inter-team meetings typically are in improving marketing outcomes, the overwhelming majority of those polled, 89 percent, deemed them effective. There was room for improvement, however, with 51 percent citing them as moderately effective versus 39 percent very effective with just 11 percent of marketers ranking marketing and sales team strategy meetings as ineffective…READ ON

Whisky and food sectors embrace spirit of collaboration

Scotland’s whisky and food industries have joined forces in a bid to grow overseas sales. The new export collaboration charter, drawn up between the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) and Scotland Food & Drink, seeks to encourage the sharing of best export practice and networks across the food and drink sector, The two organisations, working closely with Scottish Development International (SDI), said they will have a key role to play in helping Scotland reach its goal of increasing exports from the current level of £5.1 billion to £7.1bn by 2017…READ ON

Shared space spurs collaboration

Sharing lab space made sense for the three assistant professors of physiology and pharmacology. As a collective, they will focus on integrative approaches to the study of cardiovascular and renal diseases. Sarah Clayton, Ph.D., is interested in studying how life experiences — such as chronic stress or exercise training — modulate cardiovascular disease risk. Francesca Di Sole, Ph.D., is focused on the mechanics of how the body’s salt and fluid handling regulates blood pressure. Noah Marcus, Ph.D., is investigating the relationships between cardiac and renal function, and reasons that dysfunction in one organ may precipitate dysfunction in the other…READ ON

Startup Friendly Awards to reward collaboration

Corporate innovation is set to be rewarded with the establishment of Australia’s inaugural Startup Friendly Awards, a new event that will recognise large businesses that innovate with entrepreneurs. The awards, initiated by corporate innovation advisory firm Fusion Labs, will recognise corporate excellence in areas such as openness, transparency, delivering on promises, mutual respect and a commitment to building and supporting the Australian start-up ecosystem. “When trying to collaborate, many start-ups and corporates grapple with issues such as culture fit, IP ownership, procurement, transparency and having a mandate to truly follow through,” Fusion Labs CEO Patrick Crooks said: “This year saw a rapid growth in corporate venture funds, the number of hackathons…READ ON

Dalarna University awarded EU funding for professional collaboration with business and industry

The EU has awarded Dalarna University just over 28 million kronor for three large-scale collaborative projects involving regional businesses and industry for the next three years. The total budget is approximately 60 million kronor, the other financial partners being Region Dalarna, Region Gävleborg, Dalarna University and over 30 businesses. The projects will commence early in the new year. Two of the projects involve the development of the KTP (Knowledge Transfer Partnerships) concept. The budget is 45 million kronor total. The purpose of KTP is to afford a newly graduated academic, with help from a qualified supervisor (a teacher, researcher, or business coach) the opportunity to complete a strategic developmental project at a company within the region. This may involve the development of, for example…READ ON

2015: The Year of True Medtech Collaboration

2015 has embodied a true kumbaya moment in healthcare. Propelled by converging technologies and spurred on by the triple aim in healthcare, medtech companies have recognized the business value of collaboration. Throughout the year, they have struck interesting partnerships within and outside the medtech industry to achieve jointly what can’t be accomplished alone. Of course one can argue that the medtech industry was borne out of collaboration between the medtech manufacturer and the physician eager to find better ways to treat patients. But the collaboration the industry is presently witnessing is of a different tenor and scope altogether. “[Past collaboration generally [has been] within the ecosystem of medtech,” says Stacy Enxing Seng, former president of Covidien’s vascular business and a current board member of several healthcare companies. “Given the significant shifts occurring because of the Internet of Things, longitudinal…READ ON