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.
CHICAGO: Venture capital firms are expected to invest more than $1.6 billion this year on Internet of Things (IoT) technologies as more devices get connected to the Internet and increase efficiency as well as quality of people's lives, networking solutions giant Cisco said today.
The US-based firm said as many as 13.69 billion devices have been connected through the virtual medium so far this year.
image: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
The European Commission has proposed an extension of the EU Merger Regulations to require the mandatory notification of certain types of non-controlling minority investments. As proposed, this expanded framework will impact the investment activity of corporate venture capitalists across all industry sectors with the EU.
Join the NVCA on December 5th at Noon Eastern for an informal coffee pot discussion via telephone with 3 CVC industry leaders who will describe the new proposal, frame its potential impact on corporate investing in Europe and outline the “call to action” they have initiated to ensure regulators understand the potential consequences. Traditional VCs may be interested in learning more about this issue, as well.
Worldwide, politicians and policymakers lust after innovation, proclaiming it to be the ultimate solution to all economic maladies everywhere. Practically every country aspires to create its own Silicon Valley.
What a bad idea.
Not only is Silicon Valley pretty much impossible to recreate as an innovation eco-system, it’s also no longer the only global paradigm for innovation. The world has changed — drastically. But our understanding of how innovation works, and who benefits, has failed to change with it.
Image: Free Digital Photos
“
Innovative” has become, it seems, a trite descriptor, since marketing departments plaster the word everywhere. So who is actually investing the most in research and development? As it turns out, companies are spending more on R&D than ever before. The Global Innovation 1000, a list of public companies that spend the most on innovation, last year invested a record $647 billion, an increase of $9 billion over the previous year. That total represents two-fifths of all innovation spending by organizations worldwide, according to a report from Strategy&, the consultancy formerly known as Booz & Co.
Image: A Volkswagen XL1 hybrid Photograph by Jason Lee — Reuters
I
n a new book, Barefoot to Billionaire: Reflections on a Life’s Work and a Promise to Cure Cancer, Jon Huntsman, Sr., shares the story of the successful founding of the Huntsman Corporation, a petrochemical manufacturing company that generates more than $10 billion in revenue each year. He also shares why he plans to give his entire fortune away before he dies.
In this interview with Wharton management professor Adam Grant, Huntsman discusses how he built a successful business, the lessons he learned serving President Richard Nixon and working with Nixon’s chief of staff, Bob Haldeman, and why philanthropy has always been a priority for him, even before he had any wealth.
A new government-backed venture capital fund has been launched with a goal of keeping Canadian entrepreneurs at home instead of seeking money and potential stardom in Silicon Valley.
The Kensington Venture Fund has so far raised just over half of its $300-million goal and is seeking out promising funds and companies in the technology, clean tech, IT, telecommunications, and digital media sectors, with a focus on “under-served” markets in Western Canada.
Image: Free Digital Photos
As a child, did you ever hear the quote, “There’s no such thing as a stupid question”? This is a lie. Young people saunter into interviews, lectures, and social situations with a bravado built upon notions that your curiosity can never be at fault. Asking insipid questions during interviews can kill your chances at employment. Being tactless while socializing can lose your friends and potential connections.
Image: http://under30ceo.com
Tianjin is located on Bohai Gulf, approximately 75 miles (120 kilometers) from Beijing. It was the imperial port of China, by virtue of that proximity. Tianjin also served as one of the most important "treaty ports" occupied and/or controlled by western nations and Japan for various years before 1950.
Tianjin is pivotally located along the East coast corridor between "Dongbei" – the northeast (the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning, which are also referred to as Manchuria) and Jinan, Nanjing, Shanghai and points south. Both the most direct expressway route (interstate standard) and high speed rail line from Shanghai to Dongbei cross through Tianjin rather than larger Beijing.
Image: http://www.newgeography.com
Four geopolitical questions we can’t avoid when we think about emerging technologies
by Kristel van der Elst, World Economic Forum
Not so far in the future, resources might no longer be closely linked to territories, it might be possible to visualize another person’s thoughts and predict the actions and decisions of world leaders before they act. What would this mean for our geopolitical landscape? Here are the 4 main questions emerged from participants’ of the WEF’s discussions:
Image: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com
I
n a few years manufacturing and resource exploitation might be highly localized, services automated, employee productivity and consumer sentiment highly transparent and predictable, and human enhancement widespread. What would this really mean for “us” as individuals and for our economy?
1. Will robots be our peers? The boundary between human and machine is becoming increasingly tenuous. The possibilities for enhancing ourselves might increasingly allow us to work like machines. Robots themselves might soon be endowed with traditional human attributes such as cognition and emotional intelligence, allowing them to mimic the most complex human activities.
Image: Which economic systems will be most successful in providing equal access to the social and economic benefits of technology? Credit: U.S. Marine Corps via flickr
Connecticut Innovations (CI), the leading source of financing and ongoing support for Connecticut's innovative, growing companies, today announced that the Connecticut Bioscience Innovation Fund (CBIF) has awarded $1.8 million to bioscience projects at the conclusion of the latest review of project applications.
CBIFa $200 million fund, which will make investments over the next 10 years in the form of grants, equity investments and loanshas awarded nearly $4 million to bioscience projects in 2014, which is intended to speed up the commercialization of bioscience breakthroughs.
Double Apple Pie
Although a golden-domed apple pie may be an iconic Thanksgiving dessert across the country, it is particularly apropos to New York. There is the Big Apple itself — a nickname for the city that’s said to have its origins in horse-racing slang, not the orchards throughout the state, though they make New York the second-largest apple producer in the country. The state also happens to be home to the very first apple nursery in the country (1730).
A new crowdfunding platform at the University of Maryland, College Park is changing the concept of fundraising in higher education.
Image: Researchers at the University of Maryland, College Park display parts of a sentinel hive, which is used to track honey bee colonies. The Honey Bee Research Lab is one of several groups to raise money through Launch UMD, a new crowdfunding platform. (Screenshot courtesy of launch.umd.edu)
After crushing the hearts of "Back to the Future II" fans everywhere earlier this year with his too-good-to-be-true hoverboard announcement, Tony Hawk is making it up to us with a demo of some actual levitation technology.
The pro skateboarder recently tried out the Hendo Hover, a $10,000 prototype hoverboard that's currently in the proof-of-concept stage. According to inventor Greg Henderson, the technology relies upon magnetic fields to achieve levitation (about 1''), meaning it currently won't work over anything but non-ferrous materials like aluminum or copper.
Image: http://www.mnn.com
It’s no secret that companies with women on boards and in leadership have been shown to perform better than those that don’t. But the numbers of women in top spots is still discouragingly low.
The PwC Charitable Foundation, Inc. and Points of Light are making an announcement today at the first Women's Entrepreneurship Day held at the United Nations about how they intend to contribute to changing that. PwC has supported Points of Light’s Civic Accelerator, which invests in early-stage social ventures.
Image: Free Digital Photos
Into each life some rain must fall, as the saying goes. But sometimes that rain is actually a monsoon-size personal crisis that can affect your ability to lead.
It might be a serious illness, the loss of a loved one, or some other significant personal problem that drains your energy and affects your focus. However, you still have responsibilities that need your attention.
Image: Free Digital Photos
It's the oldest, simplest, yet probably still the most effective method for making sure you get everything done: the humble to-do list. But is there a way to get more out of your daily check list? We asked the experts: How can we make our to-do lists better, how can we streamline them to get things done faster? Is is possible to make a to-do list fun?
Check out their answers below:
Image: Free Digital Photos
Dental appointments actually say a lot about the state of the US economy and can predict its future health.
According to a recent Businessweek article, patient visits per scheduled follow-ups, ratio of actual to projected fees for dental service, potential monthly revenue from suggested treatments, and accounts receivable per practice are all factors that gauge consumer confidence and have reliably predicted the direction of the economy for the last seven years.
As the holiday season approaches, businesses across the country are trying to decide whether to send out holiday cards. Many regard this tradition as an essential part of business etiquette and networking.
For others, it may seem like a waste of time or money. But sending out holiday cards can be a productive use of resources, as long as it’s done effectively and appropriately. Depending on their goals, companies may choose to send cards to clients, customers, business partners, investors, and employees.
Image: http://smallbiztrends.com
A recent $5 million joint commitment from four Virginia Tech alums will fuel entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives both on and off campus.
The alums, Brian Callaghan, Ted Hanson, Edwin "Win" Sheridan and Jeffrey Veatch, are the men behind Apex Systems, an IT staffing and workforce solutions firm with more than $1 billion in revenue built up in the past 12 months. Apex was acquired by On Assignment in 2012, and in 2013 placed more than 20.000 professionals.
Image: http://inthecapital.streetwise.co
