Thursday, September 27, 2012

Is America Not Being The #1 Research Nation Bad?


via chartsbin.com


I have a friend who is a subsistence farmer in Uganda.  As friends, we discuss family, business, and life in both our very different worlds.  As I was thinking about my life in the USA and his life in East Africa, I realized what the map above demonstrates.  

For over 500 years, Europe and the USA have developed most of the world's research knowledge and innovation.  In fact, what the data behind this graphic shows is seven nations account for 92% of world research and development.  When China, India, and other emerging nations were still living at subsistence level economies, their vast populations were contributing few ideas to the development of the world.  

As the wealth of emerging market nations increases in coming years, so will their contribution to innovation.  China and India, especially, are building an increasing number of institutions of higher learning.  With more universities, colleges, and tech schools comes more research, development, innovation, and entrepreneurship.  The number of idea creators per million is increasing.  

New knowledge, new ideas, and new innovation is creating a new world.  New innovations disrupt the old because idea consumers adopt them to make their life better, easier, or more productive.  We live in exciting times when more people are generating more ideas.  America does not have to fall behind!

The USA can now benefit from world research and development.  Why do Scandinavian countries have more researchers per million than an other nation on earth?  Maybe it is cold there with nothing else to do?  I think the answer is much deeper than that. 

Richard Florida's study "Creativity and Prosperity" concludes that where economic and social development occur, the more innovative and prosperous a nation becomes.  America will continue to be a leading innovator in the world as long as our social and economic progress continues. 

It is not so bad to have other nations like China and India beginning to add to aggregate world research and creativity.  We will get "lift" from the new knowledge economies.  America still has first mover advantage and can continue to lead if we get education and government policy right.  The American way still has the drive to innovate.  We need to simply get out of our own way. 





Monday, September 24, 2012

iTunes Inheritances, Store Trek, Antibiotic Free Meat, Innovation Culture


MONDAY STARTUP: IDEAS AND STORIES TO JUMP START YOUR BRAIN


  • Who Inherits Your iTunes When You Die? (Smart Money)
  • Store Trek:Virtually Browse Supermarket Aisles And Buy Real Goods With Kinect (PSFK) 
  • Ecommerce Fashion Retailer Integrates Instagram Onto Product Pages (Mashable)
  • Find Meat Raised Without Antibiotics in Your Zip Code (Real Time Farms)
  • A Financial Model That Attracts Investors (Entrepreneurship)
  • Staying Relevant (Idea Connection) 
  • 3 Ways To Kill Your Company's Idea-Stifling Shame Culture (Fast Company) 
  • Today's Video: How to Spot Disruptive Innovation Opportunities


Sunday, September 2, 2012

My Innovation Listmania!


Here is my Amazon Listmania of books I have read that shape my thinking about the theory and practice of innovation.  Enjoy!

I Have Returned to the Blogosphere




You emailed asking whether I had disruptively innovated or creatively destructed myself! Not a chance!

On June 1, we had a new CEO come on board where I work.  This left me little time for my work on "What's New?"  

I am excited to be back telling the stories of great innovators and entrepreneurs across America, what we can learn from them, and how together we make America the greatest creative power in the global ecosystem!


As a fan of NCAA, NFL, and Fantasy football, let's do a kickoff!  If you like Hollywood gossip and worship at the altar of celebrity, check out my brother Ken Baker's latest entrepreneurial venture!  Ken is an on-air correspondent at E! News in Hollywood. His soon to be released book "Fangirl" already is creating buzz from Perez Hilton and other H-Wood celeb marketers.



Don't forget... New blogs are