Thursday 12 May 2011

Invention and innovation

Whilst researching the topic of 'Innovation Challenges for Large Organisations' for the next KIN Members' Quarterly Workshop, a colleague came across this impressive (and presumably expensive) video from Corning glass.

There are some fascinating ideas being presented, many of which will probably, pardon the pun, never see the light of day.
What interests me is how Corning came up with these ideas. Were they technical or materials developments (such as flexible polymer display films) that they then looked for ways in which they might be deployed? Or did they think of environments where there products might be used (such as the glass-clad sides of buildings) without actually having the technology to build them yet? Who was involved in the process and how will they decide in which of these to invest what are presumably large amounts of research $?
We are using this as a discussion catalyst on 'the relationship between invention and innovation' in the KIN Members' Forum.

The KIN Summer Workshop 'Innovation Challenges in Large Organisations' takes place on 14th June at The Swan Hotel, Streatley on Thames, near Reading. More details are here.

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