Searching for innovation

Innovation is about finding a better way of doing something. Like many of the new development buzzwords (which many of them are over-used on many business documents), the concept of innovation originates from the world of business. It refers to the generation of new products through the process of creative entrepreneurship, putting it into production, and diffusing it more widely through increased sales. Innovation can be viewed as t he application of better solutions that meet new requirements, in-articulated needs, or existing market needs. This is accomplished through more effective products, processes, services, technologies, or ideas that are readily available to markets, governments and society. The term innovation can be defined as something original and, as a consequence, new, that “breaks into” the market or society.

Innoveracy: Misunderstanding Innovation article points out that  there is a form of ignorance which seems to be universal: the inability to understand the concept and role of innovation. The way this is exhibited is in the misuse of the term and the inability to discern the difference between novelty, creation, invention and innovation. The result is a failure to understand the causes of success and failure in business and hence the conditions that lead to economic growth. The definition of innovation is easy to find but it seems to be hard to understand.  Here is a simple taxonomy of related activities that put innovation in context:

  • Novelty: Something new
  • Creation: Something new and valuable
  • Invention: Something new, having potential value through utility
  • Innovation: Something new and uniquely useful

The taxonomy is illustrated with the following diagram.

The differences are also evident in the mechanisms that exist to protect the works: Novelties are usually not protectable, Creations are protected by copyright or trademark, Inventions can be protected for a limited time through patents (or kept secret) and Innovations can be protected through market competition but are not defensible through legal means.

Innovation is a lot of talked about nowdays as essential to businesses to do. Is innovation essential for development work? article tells that innovation has become central to the way development organisations go about their work. In November 2011, Bill Gates told the G20 that innovation was the key to development. Donors increasingly stress innovation as a key condition for funding, and many civil society organisations emphasise that innovation is central to the work they do.

Some innovation ideas are pretty simple, and some are much more complicated and even sound crazy when heard first. The is place for crazy sounding ideas: venture capitalists are gravely concerned that the tech startups they’re investing in just aren’t crazy enough:

 

Not all development problems require new solutions, sometimes you just need to use old things in a slightly new way. Development innovations may involve devising technology (such as a nanotech water treatment kit), creating a new approach (such as microfinance), finding a better way of delivering public services (such as one-stop egovernment service centres), identifying ways of working with communities (such as participation), or generating a management technique (such as organisation learning).

Theorists of innovation identify innovation itself as a brief moment of creativity, to be followed by the main routine work of producing and selling the innovation. When it comes to development, things are more complicated. Innovation needs to be viewed as tool, not master. Innovation is a process, not a one time event. Genuine innovation is valuable but rare.

There are many views on the innovation and innvation process. I try to collect together there some views I have found on-line. Hopefully they help you more than confuze. Managing complexity and reducing risk article has this drawing which I think pretty well describes innovation as done in product development:

8 essential practices of successful innovation from The Innovator’s Way shows essential practices in innovation process. Those practices are all integrated into a non-sequential, coherent whole and style in the person of the innovator.

In the IT work there is lots of work where a little thinking can be a source of innovation. Automating IT processes can be a huge time saver or it can fail depending on situation. XKCD comic strip Automation as illustrates this:

XKCD Automation

System integration is a critical element in project design article has an interesting project cost influence graphic. The recommendation is to involve a system integrator early in project design to help ensure high-quality projects that satisfy project requirements. Of course this article tries to market system integration services, but has also valid points to consider.

Core Contributor Loop (CTTDC) from Art Journal blog posting Blog Is The New Black tries to link inventing an idea to theory of entrepreneurship. It is essential to tune the engine by making improvements in product, marketing, code, design and operations.

 

 

 

 

5,515 Comments

  1. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Black phosphorus shines light on hidden quantum distances between electrons
    Scientists have measured the full quantum metric tensor of electrons in a real crystal, using black phosphorus, paving the way for improved superconductors and fault-tolerant quantum computers.
    https://interestingengineering.com/science/scientists-measure-quantum-distance-soild-first-time

    Reply
  2. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Quantum Breakthrough: Scientists Find “Backdoor” to 60-Year-Old Superconducting Mystery
    https://scitechdaily.com/quantum-breakthrough-scientists-find-backdoor-to-60-year-old-superconducting-mystery/

    Reply
  3. Tomi Engdahl says:

    MIT’s 1972 World3 model predicted societal collapse by 2040, and new analysis shows we are still on track. https://bit.ly/3JjpFDg

    Reply
  4. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Scientists Say That Something Very Weird Is Going on With the Universe
    This could change everything.
    https://futurism.com/weird-universe-dark-energy-model

    Astronomers have made an intriguing discovery that could upend everything we know about the structure of the universe and its expansion.

    Scientists recently found that dark energy, the mysterious form driving the accelerating expansion of the universe, could be weakening over time.

    The findings could undermine the existing standard cosmological model of the universe called the lambda-cold dark matter (LCDM) model, which takes dark energy, ordinary matter, and cold dark matter — a hypothetical form of dark matter that moves slowly compared to the speed of light — into consideration.

    The symbol lambda in the model refers to Albert Einstein’s cosmological constant, which assumes that the universe is accelerating at a fixed rate.

    Reply
  5. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Using sound to remember quantum information 30 times longer
    https://phys.org/news/2025-08-quantum-longer.html

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  6. Tomi Engdahl says:

    That opens two tantalizing possibilities. https://trib.al/JQ1PZt3

    Mysterious Object Hurtling Toward Us From Beyond Solar System Appears to Be Emitting Its Own Light, Scientists Find
    One possibility, he suggests: it’s a “spacecraft powered by nuclear energy.”
    https://futurism.com/interstellar-object-light?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwMSgDdjbGNrAxKAA2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEeFnTsGK63fS8gAxlZBzjJ7AwTSl_RpD3tJON2c0phBqLlS7IxTvs0KtvWpQw_aem_ifGgd6c5P2OncgFroONF2w

    Last month, astronomers made an exciting discovery, observing an interstellar object — only the third ever observed — hurtling toward the center of the solar system.

    The object, dubbed 3I/ATLAS, has caught the attention of Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb, who has a long track record of making controversial predictions about previous interstellar objects being relics from an extraterrestrial civilization.

    While there’s been a growing consensus among astronomers that the latest object is a comet, Loeb has continued to entertain the idea that it may have been sent to us by an intelligent species from outside of the solar system — and he’s far from backing down.

    Reply
  7. Tomi Engdahl says:

    “Something about walking in nature is benefiting our attention.” https://trib.al/NnE5yUK

    Reply
  8. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Suolasta paljastui uusi, kavala haitta
    Suola nostaa verenpainetta myös aivojen kautta.
    https://www.iltalehti.fi/elintavat/a/0e159d93-7f10-4925-8464-cce84ac84099

    Reply
  9. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Aivotutkija Mona Moisala työskentelee vain nelisen tuntia päivässä – nyt hän kertoo, miksi 8 tunnin työpäivä ei toimi kenellekään
    Aivotutkija Mona Moisala tietää, että on mahdotonta olla tehokas kahdeksan tuntia putkeen.
    https://www.eeva.fi/jutut/aivotutkija-mona-moisala#Echobox=1753968354

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  10. Tomi Engdahl says:

    ‘Like a master Tetris player’: Scientists invent quantum virtual machines — they’ll slash turnaround times from days to hours
    News
    By Tristan Greene published August 8, 2025
    New quantum computing system allows multiple users to run programs simultaneously using virtual machines.
    https://www.livescience.com/technology/computing/like-a-master-tetris-player-scientists-invent-quantum-virtual-machines-theyll-slash-turnaround-times-from-days-to-hours

    Reply
  11. Tomi Engdahl says:

    MIT Just Proved Einstein Wrong in the Most Famous Quantum Experiment
    https://scitechdaily.com/mit-just-proved-einstein-wrong-in-the-most-famous-quantum-experiment/

    MIT physicists have performed the most precise version of the famous double-slit experiment, using ultracold atoms and single photons to reveal the strange dual nature of light as both wave and particle.

    This quantum balancing act—long debated by Einstein and Bohr—was tested without traditional “spring” components, instead relying on atomic “fuzziness” to confirm Bohr’s view: you can’t observe both properties at once. The experiment not only showcases the subtleties of quantum mechanics but also revisits and resolves a historic scientific rivalry.

    Light’s Dual Identity: A Quantum Mystery
    Researchers at MIT have carried out a highly refined version of one of quantum physics’ most iconic experiments. Using precision techniques at the atomic scale, they were able to closely examine the mysterious dual nature of light. Their results confirmed something long debated in the physics world: in this case, Albert Einstein’s idea about light was wrong.

    Reply
  12. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Unohdetusta keksinnöstä syntyi suomalaisyritys, joka tavoittelee nyt 20 miljardin euron markkinoita
    Nanokuituja on tehty sähköllä sata vuotta, mutta prosessi on ollut hidas, monimutkainen ja altis virheille. Yksi yhteydenotto yliopistolle toi vuosia hyllyssä lojuneen keksinnön takaisin päivänvaloon. Nyt helsinkiläinen Acouspin tavoittelee maailmanlaajuisesti 20 miljardin euron markkinoita.
    https://www.tekniikkatalous.fi/uutiset/a/bfe79ae2-bb1f-472e-b986-b315b1f1380e

    Reply
  13. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Bill Gates admits his synthetic butter is ‘strange’ as ‘manipulated’ product labelled ‘disgusting’
    https://www.gbnews.com/news/us/bill-gates-butter-microsoft-savor-synthetic-butter

    Reply
  14. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Yllättävä löytö
    4000 vuotta sitten kuolleen nuoren miehen geeneistä löytyi yllättävä tieto, mutta miten se liittyy suomen kieleen? Harvardin yliopiston julkaisu toteaa muinaisen dna:n ratkaisevan unkarin ja suomen kieliperheen alkuperän arvoituksen. Mutta onko todella näin?
    https://www.is.fi/tiede/art-2000011416783.html

    Reply
  15. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Doctors warn vitamin D overdose from supplements is rising, causing severe symptoms and long-term health risks. https://bit.ly/47GwYyL

    Reply
  16. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Uhkaako loputon määrä digitaalista viihdettä ihmiskunnan kehitystä?
    Tylsyyden pakoilu on kautta aikojen toiminut katalysaattorina luovuudelle ja kehittävälle toiminnalle. Voiko jatkuvasti saatavilla oleva loputon määrä digitaalista viihdettä – laadukasta, monipuolista ja addiktiivista – uhata koko ihmiskunnan kehitystä?
    https://www.tieteessatapahtuu.fi/numerot/3-2025/uhkaako-loputon-maara-digitaalista-viihdetta-ihmiskunnan-kehitysta

    Reply
  17. Tomi Engdahl says:

    China-based firm delivers its first chipmaking tool that stamps nanoscale processor designs onto wafers — Prinano’s nanoimprint lithography tool uses quartz molds engraved with circuits
    https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/china-based-firm-delivers-its-first-chipmaking-tool-that-stamps-nanoscale-chip-designs-onto-wafers-prinanos-nanoimprint-lithography-tool-uses-quartz-molds-engraved-with-circuits

    Reply
  18. Tomi Engdahl says:

    A New Paper Just Found Something Horrifying About Kids Who Get Phones Early in Life
    This is quite alarming.
    https://futurism.com/neoscope/study-younger-kids-smartphones

    Children who are provided with access to smartphones before the age of 13 are, per a jarring new study, far more likely to suffer severe mental health problems down the line.

    Reply
  19. Tomi Engdahl says:

    World’s first ‘thermodynamic computing chip’ reaches tape out — Normal Computing’s physics-based ASIC changes lanes to train more AI
    News
    By Sunny Grimm published August 13, 2025
    CN101 forgoes deterministic logic to train more AI at lower energy budgets
    https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/semiconductors/worlds-first-thermodynamic-computing-chip-reaches-tape-out-normal-computings-physics-based-asic-changes-lanes-to-train-more-ai

    Reply
  20. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Breakthrough study finds deficiency of this common nutrient could contribute to Alzheimer’s
    Scientists find new compound that could reverse memory loss in mice
    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/alzheimers-disease-lithium-deficiency-cause-dementia-b2810181.html

    Reply
  21. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Reduces hunger cures diabetes reverses ageing. Turns base metal to gold?
    Scientists Find Evidence That Ozempic Can Reverse Aging
    “Semaglutide may not only slow the rate of aging, but in some individuals partially reverse it.”
    https://futurism.com/neoscope/ozempic-anti-aging?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwMWi0ljbGNrAxaLI2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEeLNQDfebjqFcdxY2FgG-2haBPypr0jSDYHezU5Vtp2O5-Q4hIZGB1X6TpEjg_aem_3pqOjzm4x3gNNldSLIvqTQ

    Scientists have found new evidence that Ozempic-like drugs can help reverse aging — yet another health benefit added to the laundry list of off-label usages for the popular diabetes jab.

    In a new, not-yet-peer-reviewed paper, research led by scientist Varun Dwaraka of the TruDiagnostic aging lab in Kentucky suggests that once-weekly shots of semaglutide, the GLP-1 drug in Ozempic and its weight loss sister drug Wegovy, can reduce one’s “biological age” by up to three years.

    Reply
  22. Tomi Engdahl says:

    A new computer chip in the Large Hadron Collider will observe 1.5 billion collisions per second. It records massive amounts of data under intense radiation. https://buff.ly/xTXkg78

    Reply
  23. Tomi Engdahl says:

    In 1502, Leonardo da Vinci proposed a radically advanced bridge design to connect Istanbul’s Golden Horn. Though it was never built, MIT engineers recreated and tested a scale model in 2019 and it worked. The structure stood using only gravity and geometry, proving da Vinci’s genius once again.

    For more content like this, please visit: https://bit.ly/4le6ecb

    #LeonardoDaVinci #EngineeringHistory #MIT #BridgeDesign #Architecture

    Reply
  24. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Electric stimulation helps chronic wounds heal three times faster, offering hope for diabetes and elderly patients. https://bit.ly/46XRBX7

    Reply
  25. Tomi Engdahl says:

    New research suggests nose picking may let bacteria reach the brain, raising risks of Alzheimer’s and dementia. https://bit.ly/4lACeaI

    Reply
  26. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Tufts University researchers develop tiny tooth sensors that track food intake, offering new diet monitoring tools. https://bit.ly/4oXUCNM

    Reply
  27. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/17821-tutkijat-loeysivaet-piille-seuraajan

    Pii on ollut modernin elektroniikan peruskivi jo yli puoli vuosisataa, mutta sen rajat alkavat tulla vastaan. Nyt Tokion yliopiston tutkijat ovat esitelleet transistorin, joka voi mullistaa alan ja mahdollisesti korvata piin tulevaisuuden siruissa.

    Tutkimusryhmä kehitti uudenlaisen transistorin käyttämällä galliumilla seostettua indiumoksidia (InGaOx), joka tarjoaa parempaa elektronien liikkuvuutta ja vakautta kuin pii. Lisäksi laite hyödyntää GAA_-eli gate-all-around -arkkitehtuuria, jossa transistorin kanavaa ohjaava portti ympäröi johtokanavan kaikilta puolilta. Tämä rakenne mahdollistaa tarkemman hallinnan, pienemmän energiankulutuksen ja paremman skaalautuvuuden verrattuna perinteisiin ratkaisuihin.

    Valmistuksessa käytettiin atomikerroskasvatusta, jolla puolijohdemateriaali rakennettiin kerros kerrokselta. Lopputuloksena syntyneellä transistorilla mitattiin poikkeuksellisen korkea elektronien liikkuvuus (44,5 cm²/Vs) sekä lupaava toimintavakaus useiden tuntien ajan stressitesteissä.

    Reply
  28. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Tutkijat ohjelmoivat soluja luomaan biologisen kubitin
    https://www.nanobitteja.fi/uutiset.html?247681

    Tutkijat ovat suunnitelleet proteiinikubitteja, joita solut voivat tuottaa luonnollisesti, mikä avaa mahdollisuuksia kudosten, yksittäisten solujen tai jopa yksittäisten molekyylien tarkkoihin mittauksiin.

    Ensi silmäyksellä biologia ja kvanttiteknologia vaikuttavat yhteensopimattomilta. Elävät järjestelmät toimivat lämpimissä, meluisissa ja jatkuvassa liikkeessä olevissa ympäristöissä, kun taas kvanttiteknologia vaatii tyypillisesti äärimmäistä eristystä ja absoluuttisen nollapisteen lähellä olevia lämpötiloja toimiakseen.

    Mutta kvanttimekaniikka on kaiken perusta, myös biologisissa molekyyleissä. Chicagon yliopiston Pritzker School of Molecular Engineeringin tutkijat ovat tehneet ensimmäisen laatuaan olevan läpimurron muuttamalla elävissä soluissa esiintyvän proteiinin toimivaksi kvanttibitiksi eli kubitiksi. Proteiinikubittia voidaan käyttää kvanttianturina, joka kykenee havaitsemaan pieniä muutoksia ja tarjoamaan lopulta ennennäkemätöntä tietoa biologisista prosesseista.

    Reply
  29. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Luonnon johdottamat tarkkuusmolekyylit tulevaisuuden elektroniikalle
    https://www.nanobitteja.fi/uutiset.html?247697

    Empan tutkijat ovat ensimmäisinä onnistuneet sitomaan toiminnallisia metallikeskuksia sisältäviä orgaanisia porfyriinimolekyylejä grafeenin nanonauhaan atomitason tarkkuudella.

    Tuloksena oleva hybridijärjestelmä on magneettisesti ja elektronisesti kytketty, mikä avaa tien laajalle joukolle sovelluksia molekyylielektroniikassa kemiallisesta sensoritekniikasta kvanttiteknologioihin.

    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-025-01887-9.epdf?sharing_token=HQxqOLkGtldonEvV0qZS6dRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0P3NGcwcswGuMpJZ2uKs6D57sf4zOtbIOGTURL4c0ImSQKeiSZaepDol19H9GJ9iVqYSM-8zvN2iLVUrSWsfb9eoCDCFibGXs8WWHjUGHwyYvkOAXEwcE9LnQBw5AGsnrY%3D

    Reply
  30. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Korealais-japanilainen tiedemiesryhmä on löytänyt uudenlaisen kiteen, joka voi “hengittää” – vapauttaa ja absorboida happea toistuvasti suhteellisen matalissa lämpötiloissa. Tämä ainutlaatuinen kyky voisi mullistaa tapamme kehittää puhtaita energiateknologioita, kuten polttokennoja, energiansäästöikkunoita ja älykkäitä lämpölaitteita.

    https://www.nanobitteja.fi/uutiset.html?247517

    Reply
  31. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Groundbreaking new study finds link between stress and how much water you drink
    https://www.foodbible.com/health/groundbreaking-study-link-stress-how-much-water-drink-368971-20250825

    We’re in a golden age of hydration, with younger generations glugging down water as if it’s good for them.

    The good news is: it’s very good for them.

    Dehydration, even at low levels, can cause all kinds of discomforts. Headaches, fogginess, confusion, general discomfort and poor concentration are typical early signs, and once your pee is on the yellow side it’s safe to say your kidneys are parched.

    It’s recommended that you drink two litres of the stuff per day, but you may well need more in warm conditions or if you live an active lifestyle.

    Reply

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