Diana Spiteri is leading IURIS Business Solutions at IURIS Malta. Her focus lies predominantly in providing innovative business advisory solutions and training services. She has over twelve years work experience in initiating and delivering sustainable results and effective change for Government, Businesses and NGOs across various sectors including business and organisational management, retaining and inspiring talent, innovation management, project management, training, research, social activities and innovation, as well as policy development. We talked to her the day after the forum Malta Innovation Summit, where she was called as speaker.
What were the most interesting topics that were discussed during the Malta Innovation Summit?
“During the Malta Innovation Summit we saw a series of interesting discussions around the mindset one requires to innovate, from the inspiring kid – Andre Micallef to Nathan Farrugia’s methods and techniques to hack hyper-performance and unblock innovation & growth. Another topic that left a major impact was the Kill Your Business – Today by Dietmar Dahmen who ensure we get the on the right side of disruption to make our business FUTURE READY – today! Another interesting interactive session was Carolin Zeitler & Rafael Pascual-Leone whereby attendees participated in a by Hands-on Workshop and Human Centred Design process to find solutions to key challenges around us. This brought about tangible solutions for issues pertaining to single use plastic bottles as well as plastic wrappers among other challenges.“
What was the topic you talked about during the summit?
“During the Summit Ing. Joseph P. Sammut and I spoke about the major shift in the definition of ‘Purpose’ for a business. We are no longer simply looking at profits as a measure of success, but rather at the Social Impact a business is having on Society. This is one way to retain talent within companies, thereby giving the workforce the possibility to work towards having an impact in the world, especially to millennials who feel the need to make an impact. We also spoke about the different ways a company can engage Communities to stimulate, stir and disrupt businesses with design thinking techniques including co-design services that may bring about the right strategies when developed within the right context as well as new products and services.
The Masterclass session delivered by Ms. Tatiana Glad focused on the Community Impact On Business Innovation. Here Tatiana demonstrated tools and techniques available on our platform at KOINE.ME that anyone registered may tap into to enable business and public operations to innovate by addressing the needs of societies, this is done by facilitating community participation in innovative products and services through the various innovation practices available on the platform.“
Why are social activities important within a business project and what links are there with innovation?
“Social activities bring together businesses from various sectors that interact and challenge each other to think outside the box, innovate and collaborate. Innovation happens when we stop thinking the way we usually do and allow space for others to contribute through their ideas, challenges and thinking process. Moreover, coming together within any context, businesses will always benefit from networking, business development and exposure.“
Are Maltese companies aware of their social responsibility?
“From a recent study we carried out so far only 37% have fully understood what social responsibility is. Therefore, this is a shift we need to fuel in the coming year and we aim to do this through other activities and events through the Interreg Italia Malta funded project ENISIE and beyond.“
