Linklaters is set to roll out an online crowdsourcing project later this year to encourage innovation, as the magic circle firm becomes the latest to seek to harness ideas from its lawyers and staff.

The initiative, dubbed 'Ideas Pathway', is led by the firm's Innovation Steering Group, with funding overseen by head of innovation Shilpa Bhandarkar. The new project allows all Linklaters employees and lawyers to submit innovative business ideas onto the online platform.

Ideas uploaded will be prioritised according to the strategy of the firm, individual practice or business function. If proposed ideas are already available or in the works, an 'ideas coach' will then connect the user with the existing solution.

Once an idea is approved, it will then enter the concept stage where it is evaluated and designed by subject matter experts. Any funding requested will be assessed by the Innovation Steering Group, and the idea can then move into the project delivery phase.

The pilot is the latest project under the guidance of recently appointed head of innovation Bhandarkar, who earlier this year told Legal Week that she wanted to "formalise the process of harvesting ideas and make sure that the right ones get executed".

Ideas Pathway was trialled for three days in the firm's London financial regulations group earlier this year, and within the firm's practice innovation and efficiency teams for three months during the summer. So far, 300 ideas have been submitted, with 10 selected for further development. The firm added that the majority of the submitted ideas revolve around chatbots, matter tools, data exploitation and collaboration.

Linklaters' global head of knowledge and learning, and member of the innovation steering group, Rachel Manser, added: "It has repeatedly been shown that some of the most transformative business ideas come directly from inside an organisation. With the ideas pathway, we want to harness the creativity and entrepreneurial energy of our people, empowering them to design solutions for our clients and our business in a transparent and agile way."