Commentary by Ellen Domb

Business Innovation Conference 10/7/2009 Afternoon

Jerry Smith's presentation on "Intellectual Property & Innovation Management: The Biggest Opportunity for Differentiation" took us on a spectacular tour of Jerry's background in psychology, software, aviation, entrepreneurship, visualization, film making, academia... Great for after lunch when the audience needs multi-dimensional stimulous. He was eloquent on the non-linear nature of innovation, and how that frustrates typical management hierarchies. In many cases globalizing the business creates the need to have an innovation system -- things that happened (or appeared to happen) without structure in one location will be stressed by operating in multiple locations, enough to reveal the weaknesses of the system.

Factors eroding the current innovation model:

1. Availability of talents (mobility, global sources of talents, global opportunities)
2. Capability of external suppliers
3. Ideas getting off the shelf (and losing value much faster so staying on the shelf loses value)
4. Venture capital makes it possible for talent to leave the big companies and succeed

All these factors combine to create a world where the classical "spend and hope" approach doesn't work. For success now you need 3C's of innovation:
C1 Culture of innovation
C2 Collaboration and Context
C3 Common Innovation Processes

Jerry Smith's presentation was broad and deep and fast-moving and full of great stories. If you get a chance to hear him speak, take advantage of it. Thanks, Jerry!

There were two other sessions at this time and there will be 3 more after I leave for the airport. Revisit this site in a few days to see if the participants at the conference have accepted the invitation to supplement these commentaries with their own observations, experiences, and opinions. Thanks in advance to the Business Innovation Conference community.

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