Jim Fitzpatrick

Columnist

Jim Fitzpatrick,

Journalist and Broadcaster

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Journalist and broadcaster Jim Fitzpatrick discusses how industries have adapted and innovated during the pandemic.

It was reporting on the fast-moving tech industry where I first encountered references to a “burning platform” in a business context. The idea that innovation only really happens when you realise that because of change or competition, the ground beneath your feet is not solid but is disappearing in flames. In other words, necessity is the mother of invention.

One positive aspect of the pandemic is that we have seen how a real crisis can prompt incredible innovation and prompt the kind of progress that might otherwise have taken many years.

The obvious example is the development of vaccines. It’s easy to forget now that when the virus first swept the globe back in March last year, even the most optimistic of assessments did not envisage that we would be so far advanced with successful vaccine production with not just one, but several, potent options from which to choose.

The delivery of the vaccines – from purchase to jabs – is another area where successful innovation is obvious. The Vaccine Taskforce was chaired by venture capitalist Kate Bingham. Initial reaction to this appointment was largely negative as many commentators worried about “crony capitalism” with jobs for the well-connected (Ms Bingham is married to a Conservative MP) and contracts based on political patronage.

Yet Kate Bingham proved them wrong. Her venture capitalist experience, combined with a deep scientific understanding, gave her the skills necessary to manage risk and match the level of risk (with taxpayers’ money) to the anticipated need. She planned for a 50% failure rate. In the end, the vaccines were better than could have been predicted. Unlike PPE at the start of the pandemic, supply was never an issue for the UK’s vaccine rollout.

But purchase is just one part of the complicated equation. Delivery is the second, vital element. Here the innovation came from the public sector and the NHS. From the booking system, to the delivery via GPs, pharmacies, hospitals and mass vaccination centres; the vaccine rollout has been a wonder to behold.

But consider too how other elements of healthcare have stepped up to the challenge of the last year. With GPs unable to conduct the usual surgeries, appointments moved online and onto zoom or telephone. It’s not ideal for some cases, but in the vast majority it allowed doctors to diagnose and treat patients effectively and efficiently without the risk of spreading disease, an improvement that is surely worth maintaining as we emerge from the pandemic. How many times have you sat for a prolonged period in a crowed doctor’s waiting room with all the coughs and sniffles around you, just knowing that you’re getting sicker the longer you wait thanks to the generous sharing of viruses from your fellow patients?

I’ve heard medics in other areas talk enthusiastically about how they’ve reformed certain processes in days that would otherwise have taken years, due to the basic need to just “get it done” during this crisis. They’re mindful of the tsunami of need that awaits them, but they do not want the old bad habits to return as things return to “normal”.

And in other areas of life we’ve seen the innovation with our own eyes. I’ve been hugely impressed and heartened with the entrepreneurial spirit demonstrated by our hospitality sector. Who knew that outdoor dining and drinking could be a thing in rainy old Northern Ireland? It’s a joy to see people outside enjoying life and bringing life to our towns and cities. This innovation has required imagination on the part of restaurateurs and publicans, but also a certain amount of flexibility on the part of planners and regulators. Despite some tension, they’ve worked things out.

So as we hope society continues to emerge from this awful year of plague, we know that things will never be quite the same again. And in some cases, that will be for the good.

“One positive aspect of the pandemic is that we have seen how a real crisis can prompt incredible innovation and prompt the kind of progress that might otherwise have taken many years.”