OUR OUTLOOK - Pressalit A/S

22 | 10 | 2009
FRONTRUNNERS PROVIDE
AN INNOVATIVE SPARK
Can young people with piercings
or purple hair and corporate
employees benefit from
one another? Unsure of the
answer, Pressalit Group decided
in autumn 2009 to invite
“Frontløberne” (The Frontrunners) for a visit
to address the issue of how best to create a
physical framework for more creative thinking
and innovation.
The Frontrunners is a cultural project in Aarhus,
where young people can see their creative ideas
come to fruition through an alternative project
training programme. In his capacity as chairman
of the Aarhus Group, Pressalits Vice President &
COO, Dan Boyter, paid a visit to the Frontrunners.
Here the idea of holding an innovation event at
Pressalit was born. The Frontrunners threw
themselves headlong into the task, which marked
the start of collaboration with Pressalit’s product
development department.
Stimulating creativity
Development Director Morten Rathke and staff
from his department gave the Frontrunners a
specific task to solve: Create a work, product, an
environment or something else that stimulates
the creativity of the user! Prior to coming up with
a solution, the Frontrunners spent a day brainstorming
with one of Pressalit’s professional
project managers. The table was thick with postit
notes as the youngsters came up with ideas for
and new ways of tackling creative thinking and
innovation.
Suits and piercings came
together to provide innovative
inspiration for
Pressalit’s creative work.
The Praise Chair
At the start of December, Pressalit staff finally
came face to face with the practical results of the
Frontrunners’ work. The four completed works,
collectively christened “innovation islands”, were
exhibited at Pressalit, where they generated
a great deal of positive attention – and have
encouraged staff to reflect and
find moments of inspiration.
Both at Maglehøj reception and
in the canteen at Isagervej, staff
have eagerly taken turns to sit in
“The Praise Chair” with its whispering
voices, lie in the hammock
on “The Deserted Island”,
take a stroll in the “Sensory
Tunnel” and exchange words in
the “Give-and-Take Tree”.
Development Manager Morten
Rathke was extremely impressed
by the young Frontrunners,
who showed tremendous
commitment and enthusiasm
– qualities that undoubtedly
contributed to the project’s
success. In particular, he highlights
the badges which came
with “The Praise Chair” and
which could be seen throughout
the company with statements
such as “Du er for sej”
(You’re too cool) and “You are
so nice”.