Above: Launching the Innovate and Transform Conference and Awards is Bob Barbour, front, centre, CforC Director and Chief Executive alongside event sponsors, Brian O’Hare, Spirit Aerosystems, Paula Keelagher, Balcas Energy, Jenni Barkley, Belfast Harbour and Paul Stapleton, NIE Networks.
Courtesy CforC

 
According to CforC Director and Chief Executive, Bob Barbour, speaking ahead of the Innovate and Transform Conference and Awards: “Innovation, collaboration and transformation are the three key ingredients necessary to accelerating competitiveness and ensuring success in today’s environmentally conscious and competitive business environment.”
 
Organised by CforC, the event will recognise companies from right across the island of Ireland that have successfully met the standards of EFQM’s Management Framework, which is a globally recognised blueprint that supports organisations navigate change and improve performance.   
 
Attendees will also hear from a range of keynote speakers including, Matt Byrom from Siemens, who will highlight the company’s response to the biggest challenge of 2020 and the exciting and testing Ventilator Challenge UK. Matt will convey the company’s journey from the initial call to attend a secret meeting in Downing Street to the delivery of over 13,000 ventilators to the NHS in July 2020 to help treat critically ill patients.
 
Denis O’Leary, Head of Smart Energy Technologies at ESB, will describe innovation breakthrough achievements in addressing some of the challenges that arise in providing 24/7 electricity supply in the Republic of Ireland.  
 
Speaking about the event, Bob said: “This will be a prime opportunity to recognise the success that companies have attained along their business transformation pathway and enable other companies on the island of Ireland to learn from their experiences in new or different approaches to best practices.”
 
“At CforC, our main aim is to inspire and provide practical support for businesses that strive to be competitive and become more prosperous in the age of Industry 4.0, Net Zero and the Department for the Economy’s (DfE) 10X Economic strategy, this is extremely important.
 
“Companies must have the right tools and training to achieve success and that’s where organisations such as CforC’s technical staff along with the EFQM Management framework can assist.
 
“On behalf of the team at CforC, I would like to sincerely thank our event sponsors – NIE Networks, Spirit Aerosystems, Balcas Energy and Belfast Harbour – for their generosity. I hope everyone who attends finds the event worthwhile and congratulations in advance to those receiving awards.”
 
Elsewhere, Russell Longmuir, Chief Executive Officer, EFQM, Brussels continued: “Meeting the standards of the EFQM Framework is no mean feat. Organisations must complete rigorous training and undergo various assessments in order to meet the standards. The Framework can then be used as a blueprint for organisations to develop a culture of sustainable improvement and innovation going forward.
 
“Congratulations to all those who will receive awards on the day – this is testament to your dedication to new and better ways of working – and I’m sure the guest speakers will be engaging and have lots of knowledge to impart.”