Europe is permanently looking to improve its competitiveness. A consensus has emerged that science, technology and innovation is a prerequisite. There is also a consensus that we are lagging behind on innovation. A lack of synergies between stakeholders has been identified as a reason for this, and the term ‘innovation ecosystem’ has been coined as a way of conceptualise the many and various interactions that are required to get innovation moving.
But why not push this analogy further? Engineers have long sought inspiration for their designs in nature. Similarly, ecosystem-like or ‘ecomorphic’ processes can be the inspiration for boosting innovation. Indeed, the fundamentals of Darwinian evolution are a good place to look for lessons in competitiveness.
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