Shire participates in Front End of Innovation (FEI) 2015 conference

Participants of the 13^th annual Front End of Innovation (FEI) conference in Boston took a field trip to Shire’s Lexington-based campus to learn about the innovation model used for the research, development and commercialization of medicines for rare and specialty diseases.  Shire’s model demands innovation throughout the business, including novel therapeutic approaches, cutting-edge manufacturing operations and creative partnerships with technology providers and academic institutions to source and speed innovation.  A high level engagement and understanding of the needs of patients and caregivers is at the heart of this model. 

Phil Vickers, head of R&D at Shire gave a talk on creating an organization that supports a culture of innovation and risk taking to drive success.  “It’s important for leaders to role model behaviors that support innovation,” said Phil.  “Setting expectations around innovation and risk taking is essential.  You have to accept that with risk comes some failures – we can’t be afraid of failure, we have to learn from it.”

Phil also participated in a panel discussion with other industry leaders at FEI titled “Building a culture of innovation” that explored methods and approaches to driving innovation to deliver sustainable results.