Industry Lecture: Innovation & Project Management
Many thanks to our industry partners from Fujitsu ‘David Jones‘ (Principal Consultant) and Geraint Williams (Director of Mission Control) for visiting the University again to speak with our students and share their valuable knowledge, skills, experience and insights.
Their industry guest Lecture titled ‘Innovation & Project Management‘, brought together decades of industry expertise, offering students a rare and valuable inside look into how innovation really happens within major organisations, and how modern project management brings ideas and solutions to life.
Drawing from Drucker, the UK Government, OECD, and their own experience, they showed that innovation is fundamentally about:
- Doing something new that creates value
- Improving outcomes, efficiency, effectiveness, and quality
- Turning ideas into implemented change that benefits people and society
Innovation succeeds when it is: Novel, Implemented (not just imagined), Value-creating and Adaptable to changing needs.
They outlined different types of innovation and what drives Successful innovation. And that a sustainable innovation culture rests on four pillars:
- Leadership that champions experimentation
- Workforce empowerment and diverse skills
- Processes that are agile and user‑centred
- Partnerships across academia, industry, and civil society [
The second half of the session unpacked real-world project delivery, comparing traditional and modern Agile Project Management approaches.
Both speakers gave insights from major industry projects. They emphasised that innovation means nothing unless it can be delivered, and delivery fails without the ability to innovate. Students gained industry insights and a powerful, industry‑tested message: Technology, Solutions & Big ideas matter. Bold leadership matters. But People and the Social element are vital for success: Collaboration is what turns ideas into real positive impact and results.
Geraint Williams “Thoroughly enjoyed speaking with the students and sharing industry insights on driving successful innovation, along with the pros and cons of different project management methodologies.”
David Jones “It was a great opportunity to come back to UWTSD and bring some insights from working in a wide variety of roles through my career. Focusing on Innovation and Project Management, I was able to share real‑world perspectives on how organisations navigate change, deliver value, and harness creative thinking to solve complex challenges.”
We would like to thank both David & Geraint for taking the time to come back to the University again to share their valuable experience and expertise. And look forward to further collaboration in the future. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
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