Minnesota State University, Mankato
April 22, 2022
Building a shared vision for strengthening Minnesota State Engineering and Engineering Technology programs through innovation, partnership, and mutuality.
Michael Ruby, President of Microban International, Ltd., was our inspiring keynote speaker, he showcased successful examples of competitive collaboration with key elements that need to be in place along with pitfalls that need to be avoided. Following this, the faculty was led by a facilitator in a discussion about what engineering and engineering technology programs can do to collaborate in the competitive environment of the recruitment of learners to programs that align with their career aspirations. The conversation session outcomes fostered a sense of community among faculty, networking, and identification of recruitment collaboration opportunities for this professional development event.
TARGET AUDIENCE: Faculty, staff, and administrators of Minnesota State Engineering and Engineering Technology programs.
THEME: Building a shared vision for strengthening Minnesota State Engineering and Engineering Technology programs through innovation, partnership, and mutuality.
KEYNOTE: Competitive Collaboration: A System Approach to Student Recruitment and Retention
DATE: Past Event
TIME: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM
VENUE: Minnesota State University, Mankato
ADDRESS: 1651 Warren Street, Mankato, Minnesota 56001
COST: $50 Early-Bird (Register by April 1, 2022); $75 Late Registration (Register by April 18, 2022) –
Lunch will be provided.
CONTACT:
engineering@mnsu.edu
Biography
Michael Ruby is the President of Microban and is proud to represent its employee-owners as well as the over 800 Microban partners worldwide who bring products to market that “Redefine Clean”. Microban is a global leader in built-in antimicrobial technology, odor control technologies for apparel, footwear, and textiles, and cutting-edge continuously active disinfectants. Prior to joining Microban he worked for the prior 25 years in various commercial and innovations capacities in the specialty chemicals, capital equipment, thermoplastics, and composites industries with category-leading organizations including Ecolab, Graco, and Celanese. Michael earned his MBA from Northwestern University and BS in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA and owns a number of patents in the materials realm. His strong background in leading global teams in the materials, chemicals, and manufacturing arenas provides the perfect background for his work with Microban and their 800+ partners worldwide.
Competitive Collaboration in Practice (aka Coopetition)
‘Coopetition’ was coined in the early 1990s to describe the simultaneous pursuit of cooperation and competition. It has been gaining traction for the last 3 decades in both the business world as well as in the theater of war. Game theory drives the practice of competitive collaboration, but it remains curiously uncomfortable for many organizations who view the business landscape as highly competitive and deeply secretive in nature. As a result of their hesitancy, these firms do not gain from the promising opportunities it presents. However, many others are experiencing the benefits that come from a new style of shared challenges, shared purpose, and shared development which drives a more efficient and superior way of working to accelerate innovation, capacity, and results. This talk will showcase examples of competitive collaboration from the automotive, chemicals, healthcare, and software sectors, highlighting both the key elements that need to be in place for success and some pitfalls to avoid. These examples will demonstrate coopetitive collaboration on both a vertical and horizontal basis and show how to find the optimal level of engagement. The discussion will dispel the notion that only sophisticated, multinational, for-profit organizations can benefit from coopetition and share how nonprofits, service industries, international political organizations, and others are creating value through the use of coopetitive collaboration. Through the lens of competition, we will uncover the 4 major types of competitive collaboration scenarios and showcase the concepts and perspectives necessary which can be deployed by firms and teams of all sizes and functions.
Presentation Slides
Rob Sleezer, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Twin Cities Engineering
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Biography
Rob Sleezer earned his Ph.D. in Microelectronics-Photonics from the University of Arkansas. He attended Oklahoma State University where he graduated with a BS in Computer Science and an MS and BS in Electrical Engineering. He is currently an associate professor in the Department of Integrated Engineering where he facilitates design, professional, and technical learning. Rob’s participant-centered workshops encourage individuals and teams to consider and practice potent approaches to topics like ideation, meeting management, engineering ethics, and reflective practice. He is an active member of the American Society for Engineering Education and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.