Reversing assumptions can often lead to innovation

Innovation is key to future economic growth. New products and services are essential to the health of businesses. During the development process, it is important for organizations to understand and document their assumptions. It is also important to challenge each of those assumptions.

Indian agriculture needs a jump innovation

The world is witnessing urbanisation. In the next few years more than half of the global population will be living in cities. Many of these cities are typical delta metropolis, usurping the space most suited for agricultural production. Moreover, rural population will keep leaving the rural poverty trap and move towards cities that offer the connection to the 21st century network society.

Inspiring innovation: panel on reinventing theory and practice

Carnegie Mellon University's Pradeep K. Khosla will moderate a distinguished panel of innovation experts from 7 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 10 at the fourth annual Washington Speakers Series at the Cosmos Club at 2121 Massachusetts Ave. NW in Washington, D.C.

Editorial: Sober reflections on Labor Day, 2009

Labor Day 2009 will be remembered more for sober reflection than celebration in Silicon Valley. An 11.8 percent unemployment rate, nearly double that of a year ago, is on everyone's mind, despite a rising stock market.

Basic Economics We All Need To Understand

Reading what follows may be of help if you are one who would like to have a better understanding of what the recent and future actions of our government may have on our economic future.

How About an Entrepreneurship Czar?

As we near the one-year anniversary of our economic recession, we also appear to be approaching a crucial juncture and, of the two likely paths ahead, neither is cause for optimism.

History, economic indicators and the natural business cycle all suggest that we are transitioning out of the Crash of Late-2008 into either a "double-dip" downturn or a slow "jobless" recovery. In other words, our near-term prospects appear to be either catastrophic or merely dreary -- deflation-driven depression or inflation-driven recession, 1932 or 1976.

Government of Canada invests in small and medium-sized businesses across Southern Ontario

The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology and Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario), announced today that the Government of Canada is supporting job creation for R&D-intensive small- and medium-sized businesses across Southern Ontario through strategic investments.

“The Government of Canada is investing in innovative companies to create jobs and stimulate the economy in communities across Southern Ontario,” said Minister Goodyear. “We are supporting science and technology at local businesses so that people throughout the region will benefit from increased opportunities as we strengthen the long-term capacity for research and innovation of these firms.”

NYT: Protecting the Patent System for Entrepreneurs

Recently, a number of companies from the information technology and financial services sectors have been pushing Congress to change the patent system.

The companies have been seeking passage of the Patent Reform Act of 2009 (H.R. 1260 and S. 515). So far, the legislation has been introduced in both the House and the Senate, and the Senate Judiciary Committee has reported out the bill.

Becoming an Innovative Leader

When we take innovation away from the technologists and start to look at innovation as a set of behaviours that can drive change and culture, we start to look at innovation as a leadership model.

Using the Creatrix from the Richard Byrd Co in MN USA, we can identify the eight faces of innovation. All have there place and strength in today’s organisation, however the balance and focus will need to adapt for each need the organisation faces.

Breaking down barriers to innovation. Destroy the Hierarchical Organizational Structure.

Some companies have taken the idea of breaking down barriers to innovation one step further. They tear up the hierarchical organization and start with something very different.

The traditional top-down structure in organizations can be a powerful inhibitor to innovation. It is a reflection of a style of leadership based on command and control where orders are issued at the top and followed by the ranks. People lower down the organization who have great ideas can feel inhibited about promoting them. They feel it is disrespectful to challenge the command chain. Most modern businesses try to overcome this with open communication and employee empowerment. But there is a more radical alternative – destroy the hierarchy altogether.

Youth entrepreneur challenge unveiled Tuesday

The details of a national contest to inspire young entrepreneurs will be unveiled next Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Moncton's Capitol Theatre.

Officials from the Canadian Youth Business Foundation and locally-founded PropertyGuys.com will be joined by Premier Shawn Graham, several provincial cabinet ministers, Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc and many other special guests and dignitaries for the unveiling. The youth entrepreneurship challenge is a contest aimed at peole aged 18-34 who have always dreamed of starting their own business

Two articles on Innovation from McKinsey

Excellent articles worth reading. The first talks about how we measure innovation. Always a difficult topic. Can innovation be measured? “Yes, yes and Yes” sites the author. McKinsey argues that innovation impact can be measured, and even provides some metrics.

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.

YouTube rental challenge: getting off the desk, onto the couch ...

The site known for its “check out this clip” ubiquity could soon become the scene of another kind of check-out.

As the Wall Street Journal first reported, YouTube is in talks with major movie studios to introduce a rental scheme that would stream movies to users from the first day they’re available on DVD. The cost? $4 a flick.

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.