Ignorance is widely considered the curse that prevents human progress, and even the term 'blissful ignorance' is usually meant to be derogatory. But could there be reason for a more positive notion of ignorance? Let's find out. You might take the boyish view of Calvin & Hobbes as a start: "The secret to happiness is short-term, stupid, self-interest." Of course this is utterly childish, and … Continue reading Ignorance – curse or bliss?
Tag: innovation supply chain
What is useful knowledge?
Useful knowledge, or rather, the idea of useful knowledge, is central to my concept of the innovation supply chain. But what is knowledge really? And how to identify its useful portion? Obviously, I'm not the first to ask these questions, and I'm certainly not the only one. If you simply google the word knowledge, you'll get a pretty broad set of … Continue reading What is useful knowledge?
A supply chain for innovation
Supply chain: the term suggests a pretty simple and manageable process that delivers a given product. It sounds rather well-defined: all process steps and all necessary ingredients are known in advance. And it seems linear: one process step's output is the another step's input. As long as you follow the recipe and put in the right ingredients … Continue reading A supply chain for innovation
Chinese turning points
One of the lesser known historical figures is the 15th century Chinese admiral Zheng He. Although he was arguably one of the great explorers, on par with Columbus, da Gama, and Magellan, the memory of his journeys quickly faded away. The history of his discoveries is a story about the impact of policy on innovation, for good and … Continue reading Chinese turning points
Post-factual innovation?
When I learned that the Oxford Dictionary had identified 'post-truth' as the Word of the Year 2016, I really felt like I was slapped in the face. For somebody with a passion for science and knowledge, it just hurts. But it is true, the one new concept that dominated public discourse in 2016 was that thing … Continue reading Post-factual innovation?
understanding innovation 