dog power! ;)

Nice idea for including your dog to a ride in park. On this link you can find out more... As I saw on that link, this is invented and produced by same person. Good story for startup job --> this is going all the way from invention to successful innovation.

ibm's next 5 in 5

IBM has released the video with predictions of 5 innovtions that will come in next 5 years. This includes:
- solar technology,
- health crystal ball,
- web talk,
- digital shopping assistance and
- smart appliances for help to remember things.

mousehunt

I'm addicted to the facebook application = game Mousehunt. This is one of the best applications on facebook and it's very popular.
The firm who launch it is canadian Hitgrab. It's interesting to see following sentence on their web-site:
"I woke up from a dream-like state and had the image of a mousetrap-type game for facebook", says co-founder of HitGrab Inc, Bryan Freeman.
--> It looks like a classical innovation story!

moleskine owner

Legendary 'moleskine' notebook is finally in my pocket. There are already some ideas inside, and I'll try to fill it quickly.

This concept of 'notebook in pocket' is well-known tool for generating ideas and thoughts. This was widely used by many great inventors and innovators.

I was using some word documents for description of ideas, but this was always extended with every paper I can get when I have idea in bed or when I'm on vacation. This notebook will solve that problem :)

Limits to software & business methods patents in USA?

I must share a link. It's the text about changes in patentibility of software and business methods in USA.
Link

melancholy of eastern Croatia

I was very disappointed with the number of attendees at this week's seminar about patents in my hometown. Let's say first some facts, the town has 120.000 inhabitants and the region has population of 800.000.
If I say that there was only 5 people at the seminar which was free and very informative, that's enough to see what is the state of economy in eastern Croatia.
The lectures and the speakers was excellent and I must say that this was the best seminar that I attend in my life.
I would be very happy if I can kick in the head the state of things in my town, but it's not possible.

first flushable diaper

The statistics says that disposable diapers make up 4% of solid waste and they are 3rd largest consumers item in landfills.

The solution for this problem is using gDiapers --> ok you'll need maybe a minute more, to change a diaper and sometimes a little bit of time to wash inner or outer parts of diaper, but when you see how the inner flushable insert dissolves in water it will turn your eco-switch on.
I'm talking only after reading one article, so please take a look:

link

I'm ready to try it (but, I'm not sure has my wife the same feeling)...

"made for iPod" fridge freezer prototype

My favourite fridge manufacturer - slovenian firm "Gorenje" has developed i-Phone fridge.
"The fridge freezer with built-in speakers and a docking station for charging an iPod enables listening to music or playing back video contents ranging from music videos to video recipes."
link

Importance of Innovation Metrics

Innovation Metrics are crucial for Innovation Managers to stay on the right track. This metrics should include all submitted ideas and decisions regarding these ideas.
So, you can see the numbers and make nice charts :), but also see what's happening with innovation climate in your organisation and see are you on the same way like half a year ago or not. As, I'm speaking from the role of inno-manager I must admit that metrics are the most important data which alarms me if there is no enough activities in some part of organisation.
I spend sometimes hours and hours over statistics, just to make sure that there are no forgotten ideas or that every idea has a decision. There are no room for leaving idea 'open' if there is no real argument for that.
Back to topic - it's important to have Innovation Metrics with clear picture what happened in the last period(quarter of half of year) and to have it on time.

mobile broadcasting

I had this idea a year ago, to use mobile phone like an online camera for live broadcasting. My idea had no success, but now, it's available, where else, then in Sweden!

It would be great that you can record some events and broadcast it live. I was yesterday on away game of my favourite football team NK Osijek and I have to report to my father every 20 minutes about the game. If I can broadcast it live to him and everyone else who are interested.

Check out this link.

music video created without camera

Well, Radiohead don't stop to impress me. Their video "House of Cards" from album "In rainbows" was filmed without camera or light. They used just 3d scanner (if I figure out it right).
Here is the making of clip:


You can see the video here

modular bicycle

This modular bicycle looks great and it have the possiblity to carry a kid in the front in the suitable carrier. It can be easily removed, so that you have ordinary(well, not so ordinary) bicycle back. Take a look at more pictures at: link

ip regime (link to text)

In the text "Intellectual Property Regime Stifles Science and Innovation, Nobel Laureates Say" published on ip-watch : there is the strong message about current patent law.

There is certainly room for improvements and there are few good proposals for that in mentioned text.

ideation in big company

I had a small brainstorming session today, and I have to defend innovation process.

The problem is that some ideas were rejected in the past, but then they can be seen as successful products from other companies today. This situation in not great for morale of innovator who got rejection mail.

But after few minutes of explaining I got this innovator on the track again and I'm expecting new ideas from him.

I've noticed one thing today which can led to more thought or blog posts in future: it's hard for a big company to be competitive in small market with firms of just 2-5 employees. The problem is of course money, smaller firms can be cheaper(sometimes), but the strong possibility for big company to win in example, public funded project is the opportunity to use the knowledge from variety of projects in the past and to offer some features which can't be produced in small firm.

This is also essential when we think 'which idea can be successful in my country's market + my company can do it and be competitive with other 'players'.

media harbour in duesseldorf

I'm back from trip to Duesseldorf and I want to share with you some of my photos of city's Medienhafen. It is rebuilded old Rhine harbour into new media center with many wonderful buildings and bridges. Here is the link with description of future development:
http://www.duesseldorf.de/eng/medienhafen/index.shtml
Duesseldorf is ranked 5th worldwide among cities with with best life quality and number 1 in Germany.

radiohead 'nude' played by old computer parts

Radiohead held the contest for remixing their song 'nude' from last album 'In Rainbows'. This is the work of Jim Houston - the play done with old computer parts (guitar is played by ZX Spectrum) http://www.vimeo.com/1109226?pg=embed&sec=1109226 Great work!

Big Ideas (don't get any) from James Houston on Vimeo.

article about creativity

Great article about creativity that everyone should read! http://freelancefolder.com/im-a-light-bulb-flashing-epiphanator-to-the-extreme-and-my-business-shows-it/

cnbc - the business of innovation

New series was started yesterday on CNBC, so if you can, try to catch it! Last year this show had 5 episodes with great examples & thoughts about innovation and I really enjoy to watch it.
More information & TV schedule: link

i have the idea, and what now? (1)

So, here's the first chapter of my what-will-be book "I have the idea, and what now?"

I have to note, that english is not my native language, so there are certainly some errors in text. ;)

what is innovation?

The term innovation can be heard in recent times from every direction. TV, newspapers, adds – everywhere we can see the word 'innovation' connected with wide range of products, from commercials for cosmetic products, to banking services. Politicians, professors, businessman or journalists – everyone have something to say about innovations. The term is used so much that there is the danger for it, to lose it's real meaning, and to make people take their look away from it.

Looking to origin, the word innovation is coming from latin in+novare with the meaning 'make something new'.

There are lots of definitions of innovation, I will start with the simplest one:

innovation is new idea the brings the profit.

In other words, that is the conversion of knowledge to money.

Innovations can also be defined with inventions which were converted to market products.

„Innovation distinguish leaders from followers.“

Steve Jobs

Innovation can be defined with only creating something new, but it we want complete definition, market factor must not be avoided.

We can define innovation also with something what isn't innovation: innovation isn't an invention. Many innovations don't use new technologies. In example, McDonalds hasn't spread their fast food concept with using latest technologies, but with managing restaurants in a new way.

It's not correct to think that innovation is something what people in „white suits“ are making in their laboratories.

Difference between innovation and invention can be defined in following way: Invention is first emergence of idea, but innovation is the first attempt to make it. Innovation then can be the usage of existing invention.

Innovation is not only the production of new products, but also the way of doing certain things and how to make it better.

In the case when invention improves some product, or service, or process, we can say that invention is transferred to innovation.

Innovation can be small or big, simple or complex. We can talk about innovation with disruptive idea, but also when just small changes are done on existing product, which must at least be measurable.

Biggest obstacles to innovations in the shape of some organizations are companies culture and management. Company must cultivate the culture that accepts new ideas from employees.

“Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It's not about money. It's about the people you have, how you're led, and how much you get it.”

Steve Jobs

The role of today's „knowledge economy“ is more important, so rich countries can't compete with low-cost products and services if they don't innovate faster and better.

Innovation is application of knowledge on the problem which occurs, and putting ideas to market. There is different situation with invention or discovery, where customer is not in inventors thoughts. Focus is clearly on invention. During innovation process, customer is the key factor, because innovation must have a market.

The way to submit idea becomes more easy and global as it will shown on the example of open innovations. This opening of innovative potentiality which is not reserved only to technological giants, opens new possibilities for solving current (and future) problems in the world.

IBM's research from 2006. based on answers from 765 interviews with leaders of organizations had the interesting answer on the question, which are the most significant origins of innovative ideas? Over 40% place employees as the most significant origin, only few percent less were business partners and customers.

This answer gives the significance to ideas which comes from employees, which are equally important, maybe even more important then ideas coming from customers.

At innovation, new product brings up new value to customer, with reducing of costs, gives improvement in relation with competitors, or contribute to end-customer satisfaction, or allows the increasing of sales with using new technologies or processes.

Finally, it most important, when customer says that it's an innovation.

Looking through the source of ideas, inventions comes from inventors effort and it can turn up in experiments, sometimes even with luck. On the other hand, innovation must come from introducing the idea on the place when it can be developed, and where it can attract enough attention for realization.

Joseph Schumpeter, well-know economist from 20th century described entrepreneurship as the from of „creative destruction“. He also had interesting though that innovation, at the end in not the creation of mind, but of will.

green projects in eastern europe

Green projects in Germany, England, Sweden? This looks promising. But what with eastern part of Europe, specially with smaller countries.
If some of the projects would be offered to mayor of big or medium size city in those country, what will be the answer? Maybe, they'll respond: our whole country doesn't produce as much CO2 emission as on city in western Europe. Or: we don't care about CO2 emission, it's not a problem in our region, let's talk about savings.
This saving are crucial in this situation, and it's known that with Green Innovations, energy savings can be achieved. So, it's shouldn't be the same in every country/city, but it must be started ;)

what is green IT?

In recent times everything that sits around the corner is 'green'. Concerning IT we could see many headlines about Green IT. The main point is that Green IT is not just the savings in Data Centers. The topic of Data Center savings is well covered and it's widely known that this 'works'.
But, what is with other aspects of using IT innovations to generate savings & reduce CO2 emissions and energy consumption?
First, the public transportation is used enough in some countries (certainly in Croatia) - with innovations in that sector this could be changed, specially after the rise of oil prices in last months.
Second, the savings in the energy consumption can be achieved in government offices and other public sector buildings. Also private houses and flats can be managed smartly with watching on external temperature or other factors which could be the ground for new innovations or inventions.

big and small companies & innovation

As I work in the big company with it's own innovation process and climate I often think how this process and specially climate, can be established in small enterprises.
First, the contact person for innovations has to be known by everyone - Innovation Manager or simply one 'special' person who will know how to handle each proposal. If the firm is close to technology changes, this person must be sent to special patent(intellectual property) training.
Next thing is establishing of innovation metrics, which must be transparent so that employees will know what they can expect, if their idea will be accepted.

It is important to establish a process for talk about successful innovations in the company. This can be half an hour in the meeting, or a news in the company intranet site or wiki-pages. If the company is technology leader, news about recent technologies and newest inventions also has to be present.

In the small enterprise all mentioned topics, can be the job of only one person - so it's important to select the right person and to give him/her all the needed support.

50 most innovative companies in the world

New list with the world's 50 most innovative companies done by businessWeek and BCG, link

Only surprises in top10, are 6th and 7th placed TATA Group & Nintendo. Apple is holding number 1, Amazon.com and IBM are out of top 10. 3M is only 22nd and Siemens only 38th.

Looking through regional perspective doesn't give too many changes

link

buying Green is/will be 'in'

In last edition of WIPO magazine, there is an article about Green Branding. link
It seems that we'll have hundreds of eco-labels which will point us to many 'green' products. Web site with eco-labels: ecolabelling.org So, whole new economy will rise (or this has already happen?), but then there would be potential threat in new term: Greenwashing - "the term used to describe companies trumping up their green credentials without any real basis".
I can imagine people shopping in supermarkets trying to find what some eco-label means, with thought on Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth". There is a plenty room for innovative companies but also for fraud.

4 types of innovators

I differentiate 4 types of innovators:

1. Radical innovator - creates or adds new technologies or systems. Often in chance for invention.

2. Value-add innovator - brings new additions on market with connection to customer. Possible inventor, too.

3. Adapter - adapts the product to customer wishes - incremental ideas - no clear chance for invention.

4. Special adapter - adds solutions to markets on which he spots a niche - focused on end-customer.

the architect's birdfeeder

It's not often when you can at first look at some product, say that is innovative. Well, that's the fact with the Architect's Birdfeeder. It's cheap, it looks nice, it easy to piece together.
Take a look - link

how to publish a book?

That's a question that I've been asking myself last four months. I've contacted the most probably interested publishers in Croatia, but they are not interested to publish my book about innovation management.
The country is small, so even if I find a publisher, the edition will be over 1000 copies. Maybe there will be more chances if I translate the book on english and try to publish it in UK or US. But the problem is the lach of time to do that.
I'm really dissapointed because I wrote it to help small and medium-sized firms to start with innovation climate. This problem really exist in this part of Europe, so I thought that I have found a niche for new product --> book. It seems now, that I was wrong. I know that it's always not easy to publish first book, so maybe I will put it for free on web or maybe just some chapters of it.
To have a sense what is inside my book, here is the list of chapters:

1. what is innovation?
2. brainstorming
3. innovations on demand
4. innovative climate
5. the innovator
6. rewarding ideas
7. evaluating ideas
8. innovation process
9. gently turning-down ideas
10. criterias for success of innovations
11. which innovations are needed in our company?
12. prototyping
13. storytelling
14. measuring innovations
15. how to become innovative
16. savings and improvements
17. how to come to the idea?
18. idea campaigns
19. types of innovations
20. how to catch the idea
21. patents
22. starting of innovation climate in croatian companies

If anyone have similar problem or have an idea, please write a comment.

solution for icy roads

Nice innovation for roads. Transparent varnish developed by French scientists in company Eurovia, which turns to pink when temperatures drop below 1°C.
When it is warm(2°C or more) it is clear again.
With this drivers could take extra-care on icy roads.

link

percentage for own projects

Interesting article in Harvard Business Review about Google. The part about innovation in job description. Google budgets 20% of employee time for their bottom-up projects.

The part from article:

Technical employees are required to spend 80% of their time on the core search and advertising businesses, and 20% on technical projects of their own choosing. As one new Google engineer put it in a blog: “This isn’t a matter of doing something in your spare time, but more of actively making time for it. Heck, I don’t have a good 20% project yet and I need one. If I don’t come up with something I’m sure it could negatively impact my review.”

So, this have a second effect besides that it gives an employee the efforts for new ideas. It will put the feeling of needfulness for ideas and new projects to each employee. Of course, this could only be applied in companies where employees are satisfied and motivated.

link

creax

I found the web-site of Belgium company Creax-Creativity for innovation. It's a great collection of innovation links on one place. I simply adore this web-site! So many useful link (hope that my blog will one day find a place there!)
It's also worthly to check their newsletter.

link

innovation brainstorming workshops

Last month, I had four innovation workshops with brainstorming sessions, and what I learned is that in each group I can expect allways different situation. I had groups with 7-17 participants, they were from the same technical field and have the same techical knowledge. What was common in all 4 workshops is that the boss is always the leader with most ideas(that's good), other innovative people from past are followers, but some of participants haven't contribute at all. I reach some of them, with showing the benefits of ideas to indivudual(incentives+glory). Important is to notify about successful ideas from their department from near past.
The most successful group was the one that wanted to reach the big number of ideas, with no time-limit to their workshop. And they really did it! First the target was to have at least 14 ideas(from 7 participants) what was pushed from their boss, but they didn't stop until they reach 24 ideas. And they had the high quality of their ideas!
Concusion is that the commitment of the management + successful examples from the past + showing incentives, can lead to generation of big number of ideas. It's also essential to be active in such workshops and don't let the group to be silent. Innovation process should be explained before brainstorming, so that participants know in which program they can submit their idea.
Most important is to not let them forget about their ideas after workshop with at least sending reminder mails.

the myths of innovation

I saw an interesting article on IdeaConnection. An Interview with Scott Berkun, author of the book: The Myths of Innovation.
Here is the set of Myths:
1.The myth of epiphany -- there is no eureka moment, ideas never stand alone
2. We understand the history of innovation -- we have simplified legends
3. There is a method for innovation -- there are infinite paths to innovation
4. People love new ideas -- most people fear change
5. The lone inventor -- all innovation is bound to what came before
6. Good ideas are hard to find -- humans are built for creative thinking
7. Your boss knows more about innovation than you -- just because the boss has power doesn’t mean he knows everything
8. The best ideas win -- not always
9. Problems and solutions -- problem finding and framing are more important
10. Innovation is always good -- all innovations combine good and bad effectsResilience. Talent is great, but a genius who gives up on a good idea isn’t as valuable as a less talented person who sticks it out."

Great set of thoughts which can be added as the quick guide to innovation, or "Quick way to learn about ideas":)
Read the interview

google office in zuerich

It's really important to have innovative climate inside the company. This can be ensured with the long management routines, but one of the ways is also to have innovative atmosphere like in this office. After seeing this pictures, everyone wants to work in that office.

link

super tower in london

In recent times I se more and new architectual wonders that will be build in next years. Both these big buildings are always part of the projects in South-East Asia, or Dubai. This time the location is Europe - London. A big tower that will change the landscape of English metropolis. This buidling will provide space for 100.000 people. That's almost the population of my home town :) Innovation that lies in-here is the idea who to provide the space for town expansion without touching it's historical parts.
Link

the future in dubai

I share a link to a great web-site which features the newest project in Dubai, which is becoming the architectual capital of the world. Dubai is said to be home to 15% to 25% of the world's 125,000 construction cranes, and the this is now the end. The newest "wonder" is the resort city elevated 300 metres above Dubai - 'The Cloud'. My favorite is 'da vinci rotating tower' the 250 meter tower which can rotate freely each floor allowing the building to shift its shape. Wind turbines situated between each floor, will allow the building to produce energy.

Check the site

european innovation scoreboard 2008 - 2 part

Once more I will look back to european innovation scoreboard, in the picture you can see the groups of countries depending of their innovation index and the percentage of change in relation to last 4 years.

one laptop per child

I was on technology summit last week, where the main speaker was a well-known futurist Nicholas Negroponte. He presented his non-profit project "One laptop per child". It's a good way to see how technology is becoming cheaper, which allows this kind of projects. Hopefully, this year their laptop could be selled for 100$. This could give (better)education to millions of school children around the world.
This is really good example how technology could impact society. I saw the laptop :) It is small and pretty - just like the one that children would like. As far as I've seen, the sofware (operating system) looks simple and easy-to-use.

what's the problem with innovations in big company?

Well of course, it's a big company - people are coming in such companies to be safe and in a mass. They are not keen to make something disrupting.

Of course, some employees would be happy to achieve a success with their innovation, but it's not easy at all - because it's a big company...

Big companies have rules and the hierachy (birocracy), so it's not easy that the right idea would be heard from right people.

Right way is surely building of innovation climate in every department and assuring the continues presence of innovation news to employees.

Next issue is, that's not easy to spot an innovator in large firms - because they would be in a mass where most of people aren't innovative.

Essential thing is that in big companies, not everyone will be closely connected with the customer. Thatswhy this part of manpower will have less opportunity for ideas, or to even know for which kind of ideas are his/her company looking for? Here the solution is to link customer-connected employees with at least innovation manager, who can propagate the customer wishes to innovative power of every company - it's employees.

cultural map of the world

Inglehart-Welzel Cultural Map of the World marks the nations by 2 main factors. First is importance of religion (traditional/secular-rational values), and second factor is transition from industrial to post-industrial society (Survival/self -expression values).

Countries are positioned in a way you can see the difference between certain parts of world, but what more interesting - also beetwen certain parts of Europe. Ex-communist Europe is still glued together, with Chech Rep. and Slovenia (maybe also Croatia) looking good.

This Map shows that most innovative countries in the world (also in EIS - European Innovation Scoreboard) are at the top right corner: Japan & Sweden).

link&map

world's most innovative companies

It's always fun to see the list of the world's most innovative companies. It's exciting and very inspiring to see which companies made to the top 50. My personal favorites are #1 Google, #3 Facebook & #5 IDEO.

link

slide show

energy islands

Hexagonal artificial energy islands which could produce energy is a ney concept which will bid for Virgin Earth Prize (searching for idea which will dramatically impact global warming). Each island is on flating platform with a plant at the center which converts the heat from the sea into electricity or drinking water. Below the deck, marine turbined will use the energy of underwater currents. Each island complex could produce 250MW. More info: link

european inno-scoreboard 2007

The 2007 European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) was published today. Inno-leaders are Sweden, Finland, Germany, UK, USA... Inno-followers include Austria, France, Ireland... Moderate innovators are Czech republic, Italy, Slovenia... And finally catching-up countries Bulgaria, Croatia (!), Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia...
What's most interesting is to see how it's determined, so here'sthe list of Innovation indicators:
1.1 S&E graduates
1.2 Population w ith tertiary education
1.3 Broadband penetration rate
1.4 Participation in life-long learning
1.5 Youth education attainment level
2.1 Public R&D expenditures
2.2 Business R&D expenditures
2.3 Share of medium-high/high-tech R&D
2.4 Enterprises receiving public funding for innovation
3.1 SMEs innovating in-house
3.2 Innovative SMEs co-operating w ith others
3.3 Innovation expenditures
3.4 Early-stage venture capital
3.5 ICT expenditures
3.6 SMEs using organizational innovation
4.1 Employment in high-tech services
4.2 Exports of high technology products
4.3 Sales of new -to-market products
4.4 Sales of new -to-firm products
4.5 Employment in medium-high/high-tech manufacturing
5.1 EPO patents per million population
5.2 USPTO patents per million population
5.3 Triad patents per million population
5.4 Community trademarks per million population
5.5 Community industrial designs per million population

posters for sticking chewing gums

Artistic way to solve a problem which have all cities in the world - chewing gums on the streets. In this way everyone can stick their chewing gum to poster on wallboard on streets which has coluor palette identified with numbers like in children books. This is idea from Sydney and it's really more creative then Singapore's way to solve problem of chewing gums on the streets - by banning chewing gums.
(spotted in trendhunter)

the art of creative thinking

Useful book from John Adair, for everyone who wants to start its creative engine. What makes this book really fun to read are many examples of ideas/inventions, and the big number of inspirational quotes. The chapters are sorted as useful advices, so it can be viewed as an user manual for creativity :)

open the roadside toilet with sms

New idea for security of roadside toilets in Finland. The system will open the door of the toilet only in case, when SMS is sent to specific number which is displayed at the door. So, opening will cost just like a normal SMS and all you have to do is to send text "OPEN". The call is directed to modem which will sound a buzzer and open the door.
This should prevent vandalism, because people will be identified with their mobile phone number. Link

squash tournament in railway station

What a nice way to stage a sports tournament. The Bear Sterns Tournament of Champions, the largest professional squash event in North America was placed in one of halls of Grand Central (New York). Duration of tournament was a week with 64 players.
Glass-enclosed court looks fantastic adn I can only imagine how many passengers take a look on the game while waiting on their train.

instant make-up applicators

I spotted one idea through 'spingwise.com'. It's an idea for which everyone could say "how could anyone ever before haven't invented this!". This is very interesting for women, it's ColorOn Professional - Instant Makeup Applicators. This product was patented in 1992. from Irina Iolosilevich, who was wondering how to cut the time of make-up and how to allow to every woman, to have the same quality of make-up like when the visit professional make-up artist. With the help of her husband and brother, she came up with this product after a decade long experiments in her kitchen. So, this is a single use applicator for eye make-up. For more info visit: http://www.coloronpro.com
(my wife, just sad: "nice!")

innovative leader

I've yesterday run in to a book 'Innovative Leader' from Paul Sloane. I've read it in a three hour trip on the train from Zagreb to Osijek. This describes how fluently it is written, and how interesting it was. Ok, I knew a bunch of techniques and examples shown in this book, but some things were really new to me. This is really a welcoming book to every new innovation manager or leader.
More about Paul Sloane on his website: http://www.destination-innovation.com