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Russian Boost to Innovation and Open Innovation

Oct-31-13 By IdeaConnection
Today sees the start of an important two-day open innovation event in Moscow. The Open Innovations Forum is attracting inventors and visionaries from all over the world who are sharing their concepts and successful case histories.

The goal of the forum is to turn technology trends into economic ones, both nationally and internationally.

How the Crowd is Riding to the Rescue of Sea Horses

Oct-30-13 By IdeaConnection
The sea horse is yet another marine animal that's heading into troubled waters. They are under threat from overfishing, habitat loss and use in traditional medicine and home aquariums.

Today, many species of seahorses are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

However, it’s not all bad news. An international crowdsourcing project called iSeahorse is allowing people to help improve our understanding of these animals, knowledge that will be used to protect them against multiple threats.

Crowdsourcing to Save England’s History

Oct-29-13 By IdeaConnection
England has 345,000 Grade-II listed buildings. These are structures such as stately homes, monuments and bridges that are deemed to be so historically important they cannot be altered or demolished without permission from local authorities.

To help preserve and protect the country’s architectural jewels, English Heritage the organisation that manages these historic sites has proposed turning to the crowd.

Crowdsourcing City Quiet Spots

Oct-28-13 By IdeaConnection
There is nothing quite like taking life in the slow lane every once in a while, perhaps a pause in the day to sit in solitude in some quiet, secluded spot.  In our busy urban centres these places are increasingly hard to find and are like gold dust.

If you are travelling to an unfamiliar city you may not know where the best spots are to gather your thoughts.  A new crowdsourcing initiative called Stereopublic is hoping to address this need.

The project is recruiting citizens to crowdsource tranquil settings.

Discover the Key Ingredient for Open Innovation Success

Oct-27-13 By IdeaConnection
So, what do you think is the one vital ingredient that can make open innovation work? That quintessential something that will ensure that companies and organisations can reap the maximum benefit of tapping external knowledge sources.

Boris Pluskowski over at Business2Community thinks he knows what it is – unhappiness.

Creativity Quotes for Your Innovation Endeavours

Oct-26-13 By IdeaConnection
“The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources." Albert Einstein
Get the weekend off to an inspirational and imaginative start with these humorous, insightful and thought-provoking quotes about creativity from leading writers, scientists, thinkers and artists.

How Companies Undermine Innovation

Oct-23-13 By IdeaConnection
Businesses of all sizes are immersed in an environment where a great deal of emphasis is placed on innovation, and the pressure to come up with newer, better products in ever faster time frames is immense. Some get it right, many of them don’t. And all make mistakes from time to time.

A guest post over on the Harvard Business Review’s blog network has listed 11 ways that companies undermine innovation.

Can Crowdsourcing Revolutionise Breast Cancer Research?

Oct-20-13 By IdeaConnection
Normal (left) versus cancerous (right) mammography image.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) breast cancer is the top cancer in women in both the developed and developing world.

To gain a better understanding of its potential causes, breast cancer expert Susan Love, M.D. has launched a massive crowdsourcing platform that will involve women and men with and without a history of breast cancer.

Innovation Investment is on the Increase

Oct-18-13 By IdeaConnection
The importance of innovation to the lifeblood and future prosperity of companies is growing. A tough financial climate and the intensity of competition is boosting the value of ideas as currency.

A new survey by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), highlighted by CIO Insight reveals how organizations are more willing to invest dollars and resources in innovation endeavours.

Can Open Innovation Deliver Cheaper and More Efficient Car Batteries?

Oct-16-13 By IdeaConnection
The development of cheaper and longer lasting energy sources has just been given a healthy boost with news of the inauguration of an open innovation battery lab at the University of Michigan.

This brand new $8 million dollar facility will allow engineers, materials scientists, suppliers and manufacturers to work together to devise and develop ground-breaking energy solutions.