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I came to the US, to make high-nutrient, disease-immune and easy to grow genetically engineered potato. Initially, I was concentrating on the science side, but eventually started to realize, that it is not only science that needs to be changed but also the 'system' where scientific innovation resides. After completing a doctoral degree in bioengineering and innovation management, I have ventured to study international management and international politics, as a means to study science policy. My eventual goal is to apply the science policy in developing nations, but I am now focusing to apply in Japan, where the country is in deep trouble, not being able to align the country with rapidly spreading globalization.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Speed and Innovation

Innovation and Prefrontal Cortex

I had an interesting conversation via email with Prof.B yesterday on improvisation and innovation yesterday. He claims that the issue is quite controversial amongst the innovation people.

His claim is that the total amount of innovation does not necessarily correlate with the speed. In other words, if improvisation is a technique that only provides 'speed' to coming up with new ideas, then, will it change the 'total innovation'?

My response to this would be, yes. The speed does matter here, especially in a world where information is so prevalent, and difficult to pick out what is good information (that is useful for creating innovation) and what is not. If information was rather limited, then the achievable level of innovation is quite fixed, so the chance of attaining 'total innovation' is quite high, as you can run through all the iteration of combination (association of ideas). Improvisation, I believe, will demonstrate its strength when the information is limitless/numerous/expanding, like in the world that we live in right now. Granted, if one lets the time to run infinitely, then you may be able to attain 'total innovation' but who has that time?
By using improvisation, you are using brain's supercomputer to to select the information that are viable in very short time. And if done in non-inhibitive way, it can create breakthroughs in very short time...just how IDEO conducts their brainstorming session.

 

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