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innovation DAILY

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.

40 ton whale filmed jumping fully out of the water like it s some kind of hotshot dolphin or something

An enormous adult humpback whale was filmed breaching fully out of the water off the southeastern coast of South Africa in early July. The massive whale propels its full body out of the water, like it's some kind of fit young dolphin or something.

The impressive sight was captured by scuba diver Craig Capehart and witnessed by three other divers in his boat.

Image: http://mashable.com 

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leader

If you're an ambitious person, you'll inevitably hit a wall. Sounds pessimistic, but it's actually a sign you're doing something right. At points throughout your career, you're guaranteed to feel overwhelmed, burned out, uncertain, and defeated. You're the kind of person who takes on as much as you can in any given role — so it's not surprising people keep giving you new things to do, new problems to solve. Whether you get to move up, however, depends on what you do next.

 

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WThe Inventor Of Roomba Has A New Robot That Sucks Up Invasive Fishhen Colin Angle visited Bermuda in 2015 and first saw lionfish–an invasive species that has decimated local fish populations with its ravenous appetite–it wasn’t the first time he had heard about the problem. But it was the first time that Angle, who is the cofounder of iRobot, the tech company that makes the Roomba, started to think that he might be able to help solve it.

Image: The fish, which is originally from the Indo-Pacific, has no native predators in the Atlantic. (Photo: courtesy Robots for the Environment)

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People Group Leader Businessmen Silhouettes Team

Since 2013, Shire has been stepping up its strategy to become the world’s leading company for people with rare diseases. McKinsey senior partners Martin Dewhurst and Andy West recently talked with Shire’s CEO, Flemming Ørnskov, about the company’s efforts to transform and the importance of staying three steps ahead of the organization you’re leading. In this interview, part of our Biopharma Frontiers series on how the pharmaceutical industry is evolving and how leaders can adapt, Ørnskov discusses his vision for the future and the critical elements of leadership. An edited transcript of their conversation follows.

 

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robot

Rapid advances in robotics and artificial intelligence are making inroads in the workplace, with machines carrying out physical and cognitive activities. What will this mean for employment?

Technology experts and economists are engaged in a growing debate about the effect of automation technologies in the workplace. Some “techno-pessimists” are concerned about the mass destruction of jobs, while “techno-optimists” see considerable productivity gains for the economy that will in turn help create new work opportunities. Technology in the past has tended to create more jobs than it destroys, at least in the long run. Could this time be different?

 

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NewImage

One thing that always brings people together is a specific, intense opinion. It feels good to rally around something positive (“Carly Rae Jepsen is the best!”) but there’s also a dark, transgressive thrill in bonding over a negative (“Ed Sheeran should go live on the sun!”). A new map of the U.S. reveals the ties that bind Americans in shared hatred.

Image: Photo: Flickr user Sarah Stierch 

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wifi

Aside from lost luggage and long TSA lines, slow Wi-Fi can be one of the most frustrating things while traveling.

Speedtest has discovered the top airports in North America with the fastest and slowest internet speeds. Using data from March to May 2017, Speedtest examined airport-sponsored Wi-Fi at 30 airports across the continent.

 

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question

When you’re looking for a new job, it’s essential to pare down exactly what you’re looking for. Similar to the college application process, you’ll probably need to do some soul searching before refining your list. You could admire a company that’s disrupting an industry, and at the same time, not be a good fit for working there.  

 

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USDA Logo

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced that U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) research generated 244 new inventions and 109 patent applications in the 2016 fiscal year. These innovations included an anti-cancer drug derived from Omega-3 fatty acids, sensors to help prevent bridge collapses, gene-silencing technology that controls mosquito populations, and hand-held imaging tools to detect meat contamination. The Secretary released USDA’s annual Technology Transfer Report, which listed the technology produced through research either conducted or supported by USDA.

 

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NewImage

Richard Mason is head of J&J Innovation for the EMEA region, and identifying and investing in the most promising early-stage drug ideas outside the company is one of his key roles.

This ‘open innovation’ strategy is being pursued by all the big pharma companies – and now it’s simply a matter of who executes best on this approach.

Image: J&J Innovation’s Richard Mason - https://pharmaphorum.com

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MIT

Are innovation districts really a thing?  Can they be the primary engine that fuels economic growth in today's cities?

First, what they are.  Innovation districts are distinct locales within urban areas where leading-edge companies and institutions align and coexist in concert with startups and incubators.  A handful of cities have them where research universities intersect with medical centers or health care systems, cultural institutions, and downtown offices.

 

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code

If you've found yourself in a career rut, the best choice may just be to start from scratch and learn to code — no matter how many years of job experience you may have.

There’s so much new and evolving technology out there, and not enough people to run it. Plus, it's never been more affordable to learn the skills needed to land a job. In fact, you can get a lifetime membership to SitePoint Premium Courses and learn to code on your own time for less than $50.

 

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benari

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts gave the commencement address at his son’s middle school graduation on June 3rd. While his wisdom was directed to the ninth graders graduating from Cardigan Mountain School in New Hampshire, it could just as easily apply to everyone in the business world—particularly those in leadership positions.

What can they learn from the Justice’s wise counsel?

 

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NewImage

For more than 20 years, my father-in-law has sold food to mostly small, independent, family-owned restaurants. He works for one of the world’s largest food service companies, and his is the type of job that is increasingly rare: It does not require a college degree, but has afforded him a middle-class life.

My father-in-law is good at his job. He works incredibly hard, he’s a friendly guy, and he cares about the customers he serves.

Image: https://www.linkedin.com

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money

Global venture capital (VC) funding for health IT companies in the first half of 2017 was 36 percent higher year-over-year with a record $4 billion raised in 359 deals versus the $3 billion raised from 286 deals in the first half of 2016, according to a report from Austin, Texas-based communications and research firm Mercom Capital Group.

Mercom released its report on funding and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity for the healthcare information technology (IT) / digital health sector for the second quarter (Q2) and first half (1H) of 2017.

 

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sell

Too many startup founders’ otherwise great ideas fall flat when they pitch them all wrong. As a venture capitalist, I’ve seen pitches flounder for lots of reasons. Sometimes it’s forgetting to state which problem the idea is meant to solve, or even the simple value proposition. Other times it’s failing to identify exactly who the end buyer might be.

 

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michigan

While Michigan has become a hot spot for startup funding, Detroit has been boiling in recent years, according to a new Michigan Venture Capital Association study.

The 2017 Detroit Entrepreneurial Study revealed Detroit's startup community has grown 50 percent in the past three years, now making up a quarter of the state's fledging companies. Last year, 14 of the city's 35 startup companies attracted more than $62 million in seed investment, the study found.

 

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NewImage

Intel has axed the division that worked on health wearables, including fitness trackers, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The company has been slowly de-emphasizing its own line of wearables for the past several years, and has not mentioned wearables on its earnings calls since 2014.

Image: Heidi Petty | CNBC Brian Krzanich 

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NewImage

How many times have investors heard startups start their pitch by touting that their technology is “disruptive?” What entrepreneurs forget or don’t realize is that most customers are wary of all technology, educating the market on new technology is expensive, takes a long time, and people buy problem solutions rather than technology. Investors will likely wait for more traction.

Image: http://blog.startupprofessionals.com 

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