Business leaders and entrepreneurs who want to get a competitive edge and boost their creativity in tougher economic times were invited to a major national conference designed to boost innovation and help enterprises prosper and grow.

The ‘Innovate to Compete’ half-day national conference in the Tower Hotel today (Friday) features a host of international experts and is a must for businesses who want to maximise their performance.

The national conference will centre on innovative approaches towards achieving full potential in all fields and facets of business. Among the expert panel to address delegates are Damini Kumar, European Union Ambassador for Creativity and Innovation as well as author and expert on business model innovation, Dr Alexander Osterwalder, Partner – Arvetica.

Said Damini Kumar: “I’m hoping those attending will get a better insight into what innovation actually is and will have a better understanding on how to implement it in organisations and also the benefits this will bring. I believe Innovation and Creativity have growing relevance and are a major benefit for the economic development of the country, especially in this crisis.”

It was important that companies examined their business model, particularly in the current climate, Dr. Alexander Osterwalder advised. He has developed a systematic approach to business model innovation, which has been adopted by high profile firms such as IBM, Deloitte, Ericsson, Telenor and more.

“It’s not just about cost cutting, but also about asking yourself what business am I really in today?’ and ‘in what business do I want to/ should I be in tomorrow?’  It’s about defining the business model that will allow you to get there and about how this will allow you to differentiate yourself from competition,” Dr. Alexander Osterwalder explained.