You can see it in their faces, hear it in their voices. The Japanese and Koreans – on top of the world in the 1980s and 1990s – want the good old days back. When I meet Japanese and Korean companies these days I find their executives among the most attentive and determined of any in the world. Years of economic stagnation does that to you. Who doesn’t want to escape from a malaise? Willing alone won’t bring back the boom times – and I’m not yet ready to forecast a Northeast Asian renaissance. What I am ready to do is predict South Asian retrogression.

Image: When I talk to Indian CEOs, they acknowledge the threats of digital transformation, and can see the opportunities for diversification. Yet they turn away from our conversations to focus on closing another legacy outsourcing deal – fiddling while Bangalore burns.(MINT)

Innovation is routinely hailed as the foundation of America’s economic success. From the internal combustion engine to the assembly line to the semiconductor and beyond, new tools and techniques have historically propelled productivity gains and boosted GDP growth. When it comes to the financial markets, though, the record is spottier.

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In anticipation of Thomas Edison's birthday and National Inventors' Day on Feb. 11, the National Inventors Hall of Fame®, in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), announces it will induct 15 innovation pioneers for their world-changing inventions on May 2-3 during The Greatest Celebration of American Innovation.

Harrisburg, PA – Today, Governor Tom Wolf launched the new PA Business One-Stop Shop to serve as a sole source to guide entrepreneurs and small businesses through all stages of development, from planning and startup to operation and expansion.

“I know first-hand how difficult it can be as a business owner to navigate through the complex web of processes, requirements, and resources that are needed to successfully run a business,” Governor Wolf said. “That’s why I tasked my administration to come together across agencies to simplify the process so entrepreneurs can get back to doing what they do best – creating, innovating, and succeeding in Pennsylvania.”

Image: https://www.governor.pa.gov

As your business startup begins to grow, it may be time to create a board of directors to oversee the legal and financial decisions your company makes now and into the future. The selection of these members is crucial to the success of your business and needs to accurately reflect the vision and goals of your organization.

Image: https://www.forbes.com

New research highlights some of the most important actions available to executives.

McKinsey research has long demonstrated the wide gap between productivity levels in different countries. Research in 2015, for example, suggested that if the degree of productivity dispersion among the bottom 75 percent of UK firms matched that of Germany, the United Kingdom would be more than £100 billion better off annually as measured by incremental gross value added (GVA).

Since 2005, Y Combinator has been assisting entrepreneurs with the earliest stages of turning a raw idea into something useful. The Mountain View, California-based accelerator makes a modest seed investment (now typically $120,000) in return for a small stake (7%) in a brand new company. More important, it offers a three-month Bay Area experience in which batches of founders receive advice from YC partners, outside guests, and fellow members of the batch; get assistance with essentials such as presentation skills and incorporation paperwork; and have the opportunity to pitch investors during a Demo Day.

Image: https://www.fastcompany.com

In 1959, William Larson sold his parents’ furniture for a down payment on some real estate. He drew up a back-of-a-napkin blueprint, his father built some redwood tables, and a few months later the first Round Table Pizza opened its doors in Menlo Park, California, with an confrontational motto, “The Last Honest Pizza.”

The U.S. based Consumer Technology Association (CTA)™ has developed an International Innovation Scorecard that identifies the critical areas of national policy that spur innovation, and reveals the areas in which countries may be stunting their own growth and preventing global innovation from blossoming to its full potential. The International Innovation Scorecard grades 38 countries and the European Union across 12 categories. In addition to a number of criteria applied from a U.S. perspective (diversity, etc.), information can be found of whether or not governments are welcoming disruptive technologies, including the sharing economy and self-driving vehicles, how friendly their tax systems are, and how well they protect the environment, as well as issues of perennial importance such as broadband speed and cost.

Image: https://www.clustercollaboration.eu

The United States has long been viewed as a leader, especially in the innovation space. Through a system that values ambition, hard work and entrepreneurial spirit, this country has seen incredible technological advances and productivity.

However, as reported on Jan. 22 by Bloomberg, the United States has fallen out of the list of top 10 innovative economies for the first time. 

Rhode Island's Office of Innovation is one of the most ambitious government offices found anywhere in the country.

The agency's leaders seem emboldened by the opportunity to use the tiny but densely populated state of a million people as a test bed for government innovation, particularly across state and municipal agencies.

Image: Kevin Parker, Rhode Island’s director of government innovation - http://statescoop.com

Issues like curbs on patent eligibility, compulsory licensing need to be addressed: Global Innovation Policy Centre’s V-P NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 7

Patrick Kilbride, Vice-President, International, Global Innovation Policy Center at the US Chamber of Commerce, said the National IPR Policy should have addressed the concerns of American firms on Section 3 (d) of the Indian Patent Act and the issue of compulsory licensing. On the eve of the launch of its annual IP index, Kilbride told BusinessLine that the IP regime in India is getting better gradually. Last year, India ranked 43rd out of 45 countries in the GIPC index.

Image: PATRICK KILBRIDE, Vice-President, International, Global Innovation Policy Center at the US Chamber of Commerce YZ - http://www.thehindubusinessline.com

When we at the Katzenbach Center ask a client’s employees what it is that makes them proud to work there, we often marvel at how consistent the answers are  throughout an organization, regardless of level, function, or team. These cultural anchors aren’t always immediately obvious to outsiders, but if you take a bit of time to speak with individuals within an organization, you will begin to uncover them.

Background

This report analyzes the terms of 190 venture financings closed in the fourth quarter of 2017 by companies headquartered in Silicon Valley.

Overview of Results

Valuation Results Remain Strong

Valuation results continued to be strong in Q4 2017, but the percentage price increases declined moderately compared to the prior quarter, following three consecutive quarters of increases. Up rounds exceeded down rounds 70% to 19%, with 11% flat in Q4 2017, a decrease from Q3 when up rounds exceeded down rounds 79% to 10%, with 11% flat. This was the lowest percentage of up rounds since Q4 2016 and the highest percentage of down rounds since Q2 2013.

As the Cofounder and CEO of WayUp, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with thousands of college students and hundreds of business leaders about what it takes to jumpstart a successful career. Through these conversations (and through my own experiences), I’ve learned just how valuable one’s time in college is, and how students should capitalize on it to best prepare themselves for the “real world.”

The remarkable city state of Singapore is informally known as the “little red dot”, and this tiny nation has had a spectacular journey in just over five decades. For more than half that period, I have had the privilege of observing and participating in its phenomenal rise as a major global player and as a hub for education, research and innovation.

Digital innovators continue to outperform in the current market, with focus on holistic and committed approaches to innovation and product development correlated with success. Apple, Google and Microsoft subsequently continue to rank among the most innovative companies on the globe, according to the latest available analysis.

Image: https://www.consultancy.uk

Running a business and having kids are both full-time jobs. This pairing can certainly strain one’s sanity and schedule; however, many entrepreneurs feel that the choice to be their own boss gives them more time with their family, not less . Further, it’s an especially attractive option for women who feel blocked by the “maternal wall” they encounter in corporate America--which can mean inflexibility in many traditional career paths.

All things crypto were hot in 2017. ICOs (initial coin offerings), especially, gained tremendous popularity and became the preferred funding method for many investors and startups. More than $5 billion was poured into ICOs last year.

Startups love ICOs because they ease some of the limitations of venture capital funding, notably the intense competition. ICOs have opened up a whole new segment of investors by becoming accessible to everyone, including retail investors. But ICOs have their limitations, a primary one being that very few of them will actually succeed.

Dovetailing off our Top 27 Venture Players report, we’ve put together the 19 largest AEC and real estate venture rounds of the past year. There were plenty of surprises.

Perhaps first and foremost is that our list kicks off with a $4.4 billion solo investment, which is fairly indicative of the sheer scale of funding entering the built industry. Over the past couple of years, we have seen an increasing number of venture funds turning their focus to AEC and real estate tech.

Image: https://builtworlds.com