Here we highlight selected innovation related articles from around the world on a daily basis. These articles related to innovation and funding for innovative companies, and best practices for innovation based economic development.
Ars TechnicaTech transfers to developing world needed for sustainability
On Tuesday, the group within the United Nations that focuses on economic development (the Development Policy and Analysis Division) released its annual World Economic and Social Survey. The 2009 version of this report is entitled "Promoting Development, Saving the Planet," and focuses on how climate change issues will impact the developing world. It's a sprawling document, but the basic thesis is simple, and one that's widely recognized: we cannot afford to have the developing world follow an unsustainable path to modernization.
NYT: Should Entrepreneurs Minimize Credit Card Debt?
A recent study by Robert Scott of Monmouth University found that “every $1,000 increase in credit card debt increases the probability a firm will close by 2.2 percent.” It also explained that “reliance on this type of financing may lead many businesses into a long-term liquidity drain that affects their financial stability — and thus survival.”
NSF Announces 2010 SBIR Solicitation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the release of its 2010 SBIR Phase I solicitation. $45,000,000 will be available for 200-300 awards. These competitive research awards will be capped at $150,000 per award. Companies must outline how they will utilize these funds to conduct a 6-month feasibility study. Companies must prepare proposals that will address subtopics found under each of these main Topics...
Reflections on the Birth of the SBIR Program
SBIR lost perhaps its greatest champion on August 25th with the passing of Senator Ted Kennedy. Relatively few know how much he did to ensure the SBIR Program became reality.
There were many back in the late 1970s and early 80s who worked tirelessly to get the legislation crafted and passed. Among them was my friend Ann Eskesen. Ann recently shared an email letter she had received that shed much light on that early process, including Ted Kennedy's behind-the-scenes role, and I'd like to give it wider exposure here.
Innovation in Maryland -- through the eyes of Johns Hopkins business dean
If you haven't read it yet, then run -- don't walk -- to Jay Hancock's latest, most excellent column where he talks with Yash Gupta, dean of the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. In it, Gupta (left) talks about the difference in the innovation economies and cultures of Baltimore and Southern California's Silicon Valley.
Ask the readers: What makes a great entrepreneur?
When you think of some of the most successful entrepreneurs on the web (Evan Williams, Jason Fried, Marc Andreessen, Caterina Fake, Elon Musk, Niklas Zennstrom and Arianna Huffington) what similarities come to your mind?
Yes, they all have built successful companies, but other than that what commonalities do you see?
The Friday Five: Great Books on Business and Innovation
Every Friday, I serve up a list of five things worth knowing about -- and invite you to add more in the comments.
This week, as we all take off to enjoy the last long weekend of summer, the topic is great books about business and innovation, with strong Boston connections.
What’s the Difference Between Private Equity, Angel Investing, and Venture Capital?
I know I know. I’m beating this stuff to death. But I felt it necessary to wrap up Weakon 313 and 314 with a summary post. Most of my ideas for posts like this come from my everyday encounters with people and learning what’s been pickling their brains lately. This can be basic stuff like the difference between a stock and a mutual fund, which I’ll never cover, or something more complicated like the difference between GAAP accounting and IFRS accounting, which I will also never cover. But many questions are worth covering, which is why I’m here.
PBN announces 2009 Innovation Awards
PROVIDENCE – Providence Business News today announced the winners of the fourth annual Innovation Awards competition, sponsored by PBN in partnership with the R.I. Economic Development Corporation.
In a change to its format this year, PBN has named winners and finalists in six industry categories for products or services that were judged to represent game-changing innovation for either the company or the markets that it operates in. In addition, there are winners in three categories that celebrate individual innovators, as well as one that honors champions of innovation, either individuals or institutions.
Roundtables will help TechAmerica develop policy agenda
ATLANTA - TechAmerica is concerned about venture, angel and seed capital drying up, especially in the Southeast. So says Maryann Fiala, the association's regional director for Mid-America and the Southeast. "You can't grow a company without capital, so the association is looking at ways states can encourage seed capital for startups."
Moncton to host smart cities summit
The first Intelligent Communities Summit will be hosted in Moncton from Oct. 5 to 7, the city and Atlantic Lottery Corp., the event's lead sponsor, announced Wednesday. The summit will bring together academics and private sector leaders to share best practices and brainstorm about the event's theme: leveraging technology for community development. The guest speakers for the event will include: Robert Bell from the Intelligent Community Forum, Innovation America chief executive Richard Bendis, Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association chief executive Bernard Lord and New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham.
Better Practices Often the Best Results of Innovation
An interesting discussion over at Harvard Business Review has consultant Susan Cramm asking readers why so many tech executives tend to discard "best practices" and set themselves up for seemingly unavoidable failure in the process.
Of course, readers (all of whom are quite eloquent in their responses) come down on the two divergent sides of the issue: Tech leaders suffer from hubris that makes them believe the mistakes of others can't happen to them, or just laying up to best practices is a sure way to suppress innovation and commoditize your brand into ho-humness.
Moncton hosts Intelligent Communities Summit
Moncton's IQ may go up this fall, with representatives of some of the world's smartest cities converging here to learn, teach and share some of their tricks of the trade.
The first ever Intelligent Communities Summit will be held in Moncton October 5 to 7, bringing hundreds of government officials, and corporate and world leaders to our city.
Meet professional tweeters, the latest innovation from many businesses
CHICAGO — People around the world interact with Alecia Dantico all day. Usually, though, they don’t know whether she’s young or old, male or female.
What her followers on Facebook and Twitter know is that’s she’s a friendly, sometimes sassy, blue and gold tin of Garrett Popcorn. That’s the icon of the popular Chicago-based snack food that has tourists and locals lining up around the block at locations here and in New York City.
Massachusetts Business Czar Greg Bialeckis Innovation Agenda: The ...
From his corner office on the 21st floor of the MacCormack State Office Building on Beacon Hill, Gregory Bialecki has what is probably the best view of any state official in Massachusetts. To the south, the floor-to-ceiling windows peer over Boston Common, Downtown Crossing, the South End, and South Boston; to the east, they look toward Back Bay, the Charles River, and MIT.
Is successful innovation just dumb luck? - SmartPlanet
Robert Scoble, who celebrates innovation far and wide across the tech sector, got a chuckle out of a statement by Google CEO Eric Schmidt that his mega-colossus of a company is only going to chase the really, really big markets: “We don’t want to work on problems that only affect a small number of people.”
Are You An Accidental Entrepreneur? Tell Us Your Story!
The recession has upended a millions of lives. But, as The New York Times pointed out recently, it's also created a new class of "accidental entrepreneurs." Either by necessity, sheer ingenuity or just plain luck, thousands of the newly unemployed have formed their own small companies in the last year.
Let’s work together to boost entrepreneurialism
More than ever, entrepreneurship will continue to play an instrumental role as geographic regions and small businesses contend with today’s rocky business landscape. While the entrepreneurial fire may be well lit, there are opportunities to better coordinate and amplify it into a raging inferno.
Finding and Funding African Innovators
You’re not going to find the compelling African entrepreneurs while sitting in an office in the US or Europe. It’s only by spending significant time on the ground in the countries you’re wanting to invest in that you find the people you need to know. It’s there that you get past the first-level of non-expert opportunity profiteers and attention seekers and find the people who actually do the work.
