Innovation is essential for sustainable growth. Countries should maintain their R&D investments and cooperate internationally to protect their innovation momentum in the face of low-growth scenarios.

The Human Brain Project (HBP), a global, 10-year scientific research project aimed at advancing the understanding of neuroscience, brain-inspired computing and brain-related medicine, got under way in 2013. This European Commission initiative, born from the seminal work of Professor Henry Markram, from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland, provides the scientific community with the infrastructure to collaborate and make new inroads into the study of neuroscience, and a total funding of 1 billion Euros.

Image: http://knowledge.insead.edu

The impact of social entrepreneurs—individuals who deploy innovation and market forces to fill social needs—is growing. Bringing light to Africa, mobile banking to Bangladesh, low-cost healthcare to Nepal, or even better school lunches to the American cafeteria: in all these cases, the private sector is a big part of the action.

That social entrepreneurs can make a difference is not in question. But there is plenty of potential left to unlock. What do these enterprises need to scale up? And how can they do it?

15 August 2016 – A new report published by the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has shown that for the first time, a middle-income country, China, has joined highly developed economies among global leaders in innovation.

“China’s progression reflects the country’s improved innovation performance as well as methodological considerations such as improved innovation metrics in the GII (Global Innovation Index),” noted a press release issued by WIPO today.

Image: http://www.un.org

In 2004, Google finally went public in a long-awaited offering, via Dutch auction, that lit the public markets on fire.

But Google’s S-1 filing was probably as unusual as anything the technology markets had ever seen: The company promised to not deliver quarterly guidance to investors, and instead promised to invest over the long term to preserve the culture of innovation that the company so fiercely protected.

Switzerland is top in the world when it comes to innovation, according to an index by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). It’s the sixth year in a row that the Alpine nation’s come out on top. This year Sweden came in second place, followed by the UK.

The index looks at institutions, human capital and research, infrastructure, market sophistication, and business sophistication –Switzerland is particularly strong in the last of these. Knowledge, technology and creative outputs, such as patents, trademarks and creative exports, like films, also play a role in the rankings.

The Moon is great and all, but I wish it was closer. Close enough that I could see all kinds of detail on its surface without a telescope or a pair of binoculars. Close enough that I could just reach up and grab enough cheese for a lifetime of grilled cheese sandwiches.

Sure, there would be all kinds of horrible problems with having the Moon that much closer. Intense tides, a total lack of good dark nights for stargazing, and something else… Oh right, the total destruction of life on Earth. On second thought the Moon can stay right where it is, thank you very much.

Image: http://www.universetoday.com

Time is too precious to waste trying to close a deal with the wrong investors at the wrong time. Luckily, not all investors are looking for the same thing, so it pays to know what type of investors are most interested in what your startup brings to the table.

The key is understanding how potential investors see you, and especially how they view the maturity stage of your startup. For example, if you have a proven product, real revenue, a big potential market, and are ready to scale up the business, every investor will be interested. On the other hand, if you are a new entrepreneur, still in the idea stage, professional investors will only tell you to come back later when you have traction (customers and revenue).

It’s been another wild year in swimming at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The last events wrap up today, but it’s been hard to miss the appearance of more technology poolside this year, even if all you noticed were the headphones helping Michael Phelps maintain his death-stare:

Image: http://readwrite.com

Will Urban Tech democratize the tools citizens can use to develop cutting-edge ideas and technologies? Empowering the Innovators provided a forum to discuss how technology can be used to encourage and promote innovation among urban populations. The Mayor of Dakar, Khalifa Sall, insisted that local authorities partner with those who are innovating in both the developed and developing worlds. Ultimately, he said, people everywhere want many of the same things: clean air, good health, and education. Mayor Sall added, “access to technology is the best way to be equitable and fair,” as access to information, knowledge and education could significantly level the economic playing field.

Image: http://www.newcitiesfoundation.org

Since I started writing this blog, I’ve had inquiries from more and more people who want to be entrepreneurs. Most of the time their first question is how do I get started?

Then a lot of the times I hear, “I’m tired of working for someone I need my own thing” or “I think I’m going to take a leap of faith and start this company.”

ENTREPRENEURS — they regularly make headlines from Jack Ma to Richard Branson.

Books charting their journey hit the bestseller list, fuelled by curiosity and people looking to be inspired by leaders. Everybody can dream of making it big but what makes a big idea a successful business?

TV-shows like ‘Dragon’s Den’ or ‘Shark Tank’ will tell you having a great idea is not enough — you need a sound business plan, money and a network.

Image: http://www.theborneopost.com

Batches of sand from a beach on the Delaware Bay are yielding insights into the powerful impact of temperature rise and evaporation along the shore that are in turn challenging long-held assumptions about what causes beach salinity to fluctuate in coastal zones that support a rich network of sea creatures and plants.

Working from home offers a lot of benefits, especially to those who want more time for themselves and their families. It has become an increasingly popular alternative to office-based employment because of the many opportunities being offered nowadays. If you are interested in knowing what you can get from home-based careers, read on.

We all know that different jobs carry different responsibilities and compensation structures. But it’s a big mistake to assume that most work exemplifies a similar relationship between time, skillsets, and flexibility.

It does not.

“Climbing the corporate ladder” is a common phrase, but that is merely one metaphor in a larger system of upward mobility… not just in the economic sense (although that is part of it), but also in the sense of lifestyle freedom and flexibility.

The Next Idea

July automotive sales were up only 0.7%, bringing back memories of when Detroit’s Big Three struggled to stay afloat not too long ago. Both serve as a reminder of what keeps the state’s economy alive: diversification of industry.

In 2005, former Gov. Jennifer Granholm allocated $1 billion for the 21st Century Jobs Fund to support Michigan’s startup economy, an effort to bring diversity to the state’s economy.

Image: Investors are "cautiously optimistic" about Michigan startups, and Schmid said that means some are interested in supporting Michigan-developed technologies. FLICKR USER CHRISTIAAN_008/FLICKR / HTTP://J.MP/1SPGCL0

In the past few years the wearables sector has been a hive of activity, but it feels like this year things have accelerated, particularly in the realm of health and wellness. A report by Forrester Research projected that 29 percent of Americans will use wearable devices, compared with 18 percent in 2015. It predicts that wearables sales will rise from $4.2 billion in 2015 to $9.8 billion in 2021.

Newswise — WASHINGTON —The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has awarded $1.3 million to 13 small businesses for the development of new cyber security technology.

Each business was awarded approximately $100,000 in preliminary funding through the DHS S&T Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The SBIR proposal solicitation, released in December 2015, included four topics developed by Cyber Security Division program managers to address the research and development needs of DHS components and the homeland security enterprise. Each of these small businesses may be eligible for further development funding based on their initial project results as well as its scientific and technical merit and perceived commercialization potential.

As a business advisor, I have too often seen technical entrepreneurs get a product or service off the ground with ease, but then struggle mightily when their business reaches a couple of million in annual sales, or the employee count grows beyond a handful. It’s at this stage that the job changes from creative and tactical to managerial and strategic. Many don’t survive the change.

Image: http://blog.startupprofessionals.com

On May 16, 2016 the flood gates opened. That is when all American citizens were allowed a direct pathway to seed stage investing through a new type of security, technically called “Regulation Crowdfunding.”

We’re now 90-days in. Are startups reeling in newfound cash from mom, pop and every Tom, Dick and Sally on Main Street? Not yet.  In the first few months of this new market, just over $6 million has been raised and 70-something businesses are seeking a total of about $60 million according to the new CCA Regulation Crowdfunding Indices. (If you’re interested in this funding space, definitely bookmark this site.)

What do you know now about the capacities and limits of government that you didn’t know in 2010, before Michael Bloomberg made you New York City’s chief digital officer1 and you served as Governor Cuomo’s CDO?

I know now that government is capable of more than is assumed, and that most of its limits are a matter of perception, not reality. In any large organization the tendency is to stick to what’s worked and to avoid risk by avoiding change. But with both Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Cuomo I had the privilege of working for leaders who said our job was to fight inertia and get things done. And with that mentality you can get an enormous amount done in government, because it is an incredibly powerful platform.

Image: https://www.technologyreview.com