wealth creation from new zealand science and technology

© Design for Innovation, 2004-09

MoRST PresentationBy Dr. Iain SandersWed 13th Oct 2004

Maximising The Economic Wealth Of New Zealand Through Research

And Innovation

What Policies And Outcomes Will Make A Difference?

http://www.designforinnovation.com/


Overview

A. What is our common objective?

B. On what should we focus?

C. How do we achieve this goal?

D. Keys to success:

Five analogies for five strategies

E. Summary

F. Notes


What Is Our Common Objective?

• MoRST’s Mission:

“To inspire and assist New Zealanders to create a better future through research and innovation”.

• Personal Mission:

“Empowering New Zealanders to make a difference that other countries will want to emulate”.

A© Design for Innovation, 2004-09


On What Should We Focus?

• Over the past 50 years OECD countries have shown that: knowledge-based industries grow faster than industries on average.

• The reality is, however, that every industry has the potential to become a knowledge-based industry – given the right resources and leadership to apply them.

B© Design for Innovation, 2004-09


How Do We Achieve This Goal?• Create self-sustaining regional and national “Centres of

Innovation Excellence” – that coordinate, streamline and combine: existing public and private, technical and commercial resources, and through such interactions, develop new resources.

• These centres will be “Innovation Gateways” – access points to channel New Zealand’s creative, technical, intellectual, business, financial resources and talents.

• Develop & implement an effective strategy for these centres to achieve their full potential.

C© Design for Innovation, 2004-09


Keys To Success:Five Analogies For Five

Strategies

D© Design for Innovation, 2004-09


1st Strategy: Create A New National Identity

• Provide incentives to stimulate innovative behaviour, and role models that emulate innovation excellence.

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1st Analogy: A New Renaissance - World Famous In New Zealand

• EXAMPLE: During the Renaissance Period (1450-1600) there was a great revival of interest in art, literature, science and learning. Furthermore, the Renaissance Period ushered in a grand age of exploration. People like: Leonardo da Vinci, Christopher Columbus and Johann Gutenberg were trail-blazing pioneers of the Renaissance Period.

• APPLICATION: New Zealand should nurture more of its own trail-blazing pioneers – people like Rutherford and Pickering, who can inspire and lead our very own ‘Kiwi Renaissance’.



2nd Strategy: Develop Targets To Meet And Exceed

• Define research and innovation standards to meet, and the outcomes they must achieve.



2nd Analogy: The Economic Rebirth Of A Nation - The Japanese Quality Revolution

• EXAMPLE: Japan’s economic and industrial infrastructure was destroyed by the Second World War. In order to rebuild their shattered economy, Japan adopted, developed and adapted American Total Quality Management methodologies. These methodologies were effectively responsible for the miraculous turn around of Japanese Industry after 1945.

• APPLICATION: Today, ISO 9000 quality management standards are sweeping the world. They represent a prominent measure of business performance, attitudes and growth potential. Research and Innovation standards should be created and elevated to the status currently enjoyed by ISO 9000.



3rd Strategy: Find The Right Challenges To Face

• Provide problems to solve, and opportunities to realize.


3rd Analogy: The Space Race - Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention

• EXAMPLE: As the Space Race began, the United States and the Soviet Union were building rockets to use as long-range weapons. The United States initially favoured bombers, but the Soviets preferred missiles and thus took an early lead in rocket technology. JFK focused the Space Race on a clear goal: landing a man on the Moon before the Soviets. Along the way, many new technologies were tested and refined: e.g. photovoltaics, fuel cells, microwaves etc.

• APPLICATION: Low technology products dominate New Zealand’s exports. Meanwhile, other economies have vigorously applied research and technological innovation to develop high value goods and services. It will not be enough for New Zealand to do more things, better and faster to catch up. The country also needs to be different, smarter, more profitable and competitive to get ahead.



4th Strategy: Provide Resources That Equip And Empower

• Provide tools to develop innovative solutions, and technical resources to deliver them.



4th Analogy: Eureka (I’ve Found It!) - But Why Does It Work?

• EXAMPLE: Several psychological methods have been developed to ‘force’ people to generate ideas and think ‘outside the box’. The difficulty of obtaining objective information through such means however, is that these results are neither measurable nor reliable. On the other hand, technical information is objective in nature and can be easily observed.

• APPLICATION: Consequently, the process of innovation has been studied by screening over 3 million patents and 10,000 scientific effects. From these results, inventive achievements have been recorded and inventive principles derived. Problem-solving tools apply these principles reliably and effectively.



5th Strategy: Deliver The Means To Make A Difference

• Provide business resources to commercialize research & innovative solutions, and investors to maximise the wealth created from them.



5th Analogy: The New Rules Of Engagement - The Internet Tsunami Effect

• EXAMPLE: Speed, range and accessibility of information on the Internet, and the low cost of distributing and capturing it, create new commercial possibilities. Entirely new companies and business models are emerging in industries ranging from chemicals to road haulage to bring together buyers and sellers in super-efficient new electronic marketplaces.

• APPLICATION: By harnessing the power and reach of the Internet, New Zealand companies and individuals can utilise the tools to compile and qualify business investment proposals. Furthermore, funding might come from around the block or around the world.



Summary1. The quantity and quality of research and innovation must

be consistent and sustained for maximum benefit to the NZ economy.

2. Self-sustaining “Centres of Innovation Excellence” must become the gateways to NZ wealth creation.

3. We must acquire the resources to demonstrate and promote innovation excellence.

4. Effective channels for maximising the distribution and use of resources for innovation and wealth creation must be established.

5. Without an effective strategy, the outcomes necessary will not be achieved.

E© Design for Innovation, 2004-09


Credibility Must Be Established

• We must demonstrate and project the ability to lead New Zealand government and industry in research and innovation excellence.

• This capability can be acquired and applied to maximising economic wealth in New Zealand from research and innovation.

F1© Design for Innovation, 2004-09

What Is The Most Critical Step?• Most critical steps once credibility has been

established:Maximum diffusion and adoption of resources necessary to expand New Zealand’s research and innovation capabilities.

• The establishment of MoRST’s “Advanced Network” for New Zealand will play a critical part. The key is to effectively engage every organisation and individual with something to contribute, to use this resource… even if it means going door to door to enlist their participation!

F2© Design for Innovation, 2004-09

Aspects Of Intelligence Needed In NZ’s Advanced Network

F3

Configuring:(e.g. configurator software)

Dispatching:(e.g. router)

Storing:(e.g. database)

Processing:(e.g. microprocessor)

Interacting:(e.g. keyboard)

Coordinating:(e.g. operating system)

Learning:(e.g. expert system)

Sensing:(e.g. antenna)

Arranging information in a particular way to respond to a need

Moving information from its source to its appropriate destination

Collecting information in a way that can be easily and speedily accessed when need

Converting raw information into useful outcomes

Facilitating the exchange of information among sources to objects

Harmonising activities performed by multiple entities to reach a common goal

Using experience to improve the ability to act

Detecting and interpreting signals in the environment


Examples Of Resources: Interacting Organizations

• The Cabinet Office• Govt. Ministries• Govt. Departments• Universities & Polys• Transnational govt.• CRIs• Regional Develop.

Corporations• Local Councils• SMEs

• Large companies

• Business consortia

• Trade associations

• Banks & investors

• Technology spin-offs

• Technology start-ups

• Technology clusters

• Technology parks

• Research institutes

• Overseas organisationsF4


Examples Of Resources:Programs And Policies

• Train our population to explore opportunities, solve problems, test ideas and innovate• Up-skill researchers and technologists• Educate businesses and individuals to take advantage of the vast untapped

opportunities and resources available• Develop better incentives and mechanisms for collaborative research and innovation• Introduce better incentives and mechanisms for commercialising research and

innovation• Increase the flows of researchers and innovators into business (and education)• Coordinate and streamline government programs and instruments facilitating research

and innovation• Develop strong links with overseas programs, govts. etc.• Expand and integrate government programs assisting business and research, with

non-governmental entities• Build programs that link businesses with CRIs, universities and other research

providers• Encourage and reward the more capable organisations and individuals to help the

stragglersF5
