Scientists debate culture's role in creativity

[9 December 2005 - The Daily Yomiuri - Japan] In trying to imagine how the 21st century will evolve and how the problems that will arise can be overcome, it is perhaps best to listen to the wisdom and experience of experts from various fields. This was the subject of the 17th annual forum 'Creativity in the 21st Century with Nobel Laureates,' which brought together six laureates in science. The series was jointly organized by The Yomiuri Shimbun and NHK. The forum series began in Kanazawa on Nov. 8 with a session on science and was followed by further science sessions in Tokyo on Nov. 17 and Kyoto on Nov. 26. More

Design Centres: Emphasis is on fostering innovation and creativity

[6 December 2005 - The Independent (UK)] A national network of 'innovation centres' is to be set up to help foster new design talent. It will include a showcase for British design in London. But there will be also reforms to tax credits for research and development to encourage early and innovative use of design in manufacturing and industry. ... The Chancellor said: "The design of new products and services is now such an important sector that we propose a network of creativity and innovation centres - one in each region offering start-up help to new design talent and supported by an expanded national centre in London to showcase British design." The Lighthouse in Glasgow already acts as a design talent showcase. More

Innovation, creativity needed to sustain growth

[6 December 2005 - China Daily] Are local Chinese industries ready to design and innovate, or is it easier and more cost effective just to copy others like other Asian economies are doing? Those were the questions raised by delegates at the 20th China Daily CEO Roundtable meeting held on November 30, 2005. The questions provoked ardent discussion at the "Next Generation Design, Innovation and Creativity for China" meeting, co-hosted by China Daily and the Illinois Institute of Technology. More than 30 CEOs and senior executives from prestigious companies in the design, media, lifestyle, technology, communications, education and legal sectors sat down at the Peninsula Palace Beijing with one objective: to exchange views on China's capacity and challenges in rising to the global stage of design and innovation. Mary Ma, a former national model and now president of her own fashion design company, was among the distinguished delegates that attended the prestigious event. More

Creativity Lab: Where some dreams come true

[6 December 2005 - Taipei Times] Founded last year, the lab answers Taiwan's need as it struggles to move from being simply a manufacturing hub to a creative force in the business world ... Some of us probably had the experience of walking during a heavy downpour and struggling to stay dry in our raincoats while trying to look out for oncoming vehicles through our rain-drenched vision. What if we had a raincoat that is able to sense how heavy the downpour is and glow in different shades of color and varying intensity. This would surely be a good device to catch the attention of passing cars and greatly enhance pedestrian safety. Many single ladies living alone probably find it hard to do their hair at times, because of the constraints of their bathroom mirror. What if we had a bathroom mirror that allowed us to see the back of our torso or even magnified parts of our faces, making it easier for ladies to apply their make-up. These ideas, impractical though they may sound, are totally encouraged at the Creativity Lab (³Ð·N¤¤¤ß), a division under the quasi-official Industrial Technology Research Institute. More

RESILIENCY: WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED

[2 December 2005 - PEN Weekly NewsBlast] Ten years ago, resiliency theory was relatively new to the fields of prevention and education. Today, it is at the heart of hundreds of school and community programs that recognize in all young people the capacity to lead healthy, successful lives. The key, as Bonnie Benard reports in this synthesis of a decade and more of resiliency research, is the role that families, schools, and communities play in supporting, and not undermining, this biological drive for normal human development. Of special interest is the evidence that resiliency prevails in many extreme cases. In most studies, the figure seems to average 70 to 75 percent and includes children who were placed in foster care, were members of gangs, were born to teen mothers, were sexually abused, had substance-abusing or mentally ill families, and grew up in poverty. In absolute worst case scenarios, when children experience multiple and persistent risks, still half of them overcome adversity and achieve good developmental outcomes. An understanding of this developmental wisdom and the supporting research, Benard argues, must be integrated into adults’ vision for the youth they work with and communicated to young people themselves. Read sample chapters online.

Not All Innovations Are Equal

[5 December 2005 - HBS Working Knowledge] So many bright ideas fade away at the execution stage—but it doesn’t have to be that way. This excerpt from a new book, 10 Rules for Strategic Innovators, tells how to forge ahead based on four different types of innovation. ... There is no shortage of published ideas on how best to manage innovation. Empower employees. Encourage initiative. Cultivate risk taking. Overcome mindlessness such as, "We do it this way because it has always been done this way." But managers need more than such generic advice because there are many different kinds of innovation, and each requires a profoundly different managerial approach. This book focuses strictly on strategic innovation, which differs sharply from three other categories of innovation:
* Continuous process improvement.
* Process revolutions.
* Product or service innovations.
* Strategic innovations.
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