Global design company Woods Bagot is the first architecture firm to win a Most Admired Knowledge Enterprise (MAKE) award.
Woods Bagot has been recognised for their ability to maximize business growth and add value to shareholders through innovative research, thought leadership and knowledge management.
The 2008 Asian MAKE study program is an international benchmark for best practice knowledge-driven organisations, and is administered by Teleos, an independent knowledge management and intellectual capital research firm.
Managing Director of Teleos, Rory Chase, said the Asian MAKE winners are effectively transforming knowledge into wealth creating ideas, products and solutions. They are building portfolios of intellectual capital which will enable them to out-perform their global competitors.
Group Managing Director for Woods Bagot, Ross Donaldson said Woods Bagot's research and thought leadership challenges conventional design philosophy and delivers provocative and intelligent solutions to help clients make the most of their property.
"It is incredibly rewarding and exciting for Woods Bagot to be recognised as a leader in knowledge management and research as it confirms our commitment to this crucial element of our global business," explains Ross Donaldson.
"Two years ago, the directors of Woods Bagot set out a vision to be a leading, global, 21st Century organisation, recognised for delivering intelligent and relevant designs, underpinned by research. To meet this vision, Woods Bagot has made a commitment to invest two per cent of its revenue to research and knowledge initiatives that capture, share and build upon the intellectual capital of our people and projects across the globe."
During this period, Woods Bagot launched PUBLIC, an interdisciplinary global research brand that captures new thinking and provides a platform for clients, staff, researchers, and other collaborators to feed ideas, further advanced thinking and challenge predictable theory.
Created by Woods Bagot staff in conjunction with world-leading thinkers, entrepreneurs and academics, research is circulated through published papers, seminars, books, blogs, podcasts and projects.
During this period Woods Bagot has also doubled in staff numbers and expanded into new regions, including the recent expansion to North America.
"Woods Bagot is winning landmark projects and international awards because of its dedication to research and the stringent interrogation of design - initiatives which are founded on the knowledge and ideas of our people."
"This process has been as much of a cultural change as it has been a knowledge agenda; and the business is committed to continuing our strategy with the implementation of new knowledge tools and communities over the coming year," says Ross Donaldson, Group Managing Director.
Other recipients of the 2008 MAKE award include Honda Motor, LG, Samsung, SingTel, Tata Steel and Toyota.