Blogs
Innovation as experimentation
An entepreneurship expert explains the benefits of treating new business ideas as experiments, with hypotheses that need to be tested.
How stronger labor laws can foster innovation
A new study suggests that laws that make it more complicated to fire or lay off employees are good for innovation.
SC Johnson’s ingredient disclosure project
Consumer products company SC Johnson has begun listing the ingredients in its products, such as Windex, Glade and Shout, on a web site.
Getting ready to innovate?
Mick McManus, CEO of a company called MAYA Design, offers some interesting reflections on the state of product innovation during the current downturn. In a brief video clip from The Wall Street Journal's website, McManus observed that he sees companies trying to protect their investment in new[…]
Summer funding for start-ups
'Tis the season...to apply for funding to start a company this summer.
Innovation to the rescue?
Will technology innovation help lead the economy out of recession? Some experts say so.
New and noteworthy
Are we at the end of an era? Plus, money-saving tips via crowdsourcing.
The enticing but elusive carbon-neutral building
Considering that buildings account for 39 percent of all energy use, greening them would seem to be a no-brainer. But Richard Conniff has a thoughtful read on why developers avoid or compromise in this task.
Achieving radical innovations in an established company
What does it take to create a successful radical innovation within a big company? New research offers some insights.
The green Apple - or not
If you've watched TV lately, no doubt you've seen ads for "the greenest Macbook Pro ever." Which is why I was interested to see this post on the lack of Apple leadership on climate change issues.
Networks of innovation
Two innovation experts see great potential in "creation networks" that include companies from a variety of regions with specialized technical expertise.
How much water is in a latte?
Marc Gunther, discussing the issue of water use by industry and agriculture, relays these figures from the WWF's Jason Clay on the amount of water in a latte. The total? Over 200 liters for one cup.
How institutional investment affects innovation
A new study suggests that the effect of institutional investors on innovation in public companies is positive.
Expert opinions on the economy
Harvard's Martin Feldstein and MIT's Simon Johnson offer insights on the economy and the banking system.
California proposes cradle-to-cradle product bill
In a move to adopt "cradle-to-cradle" principles, California's state assembly is considering a product stewardship bill that would require manufacturers to research ways to reduce waste at the end of the product's lifespan.
A coming entrepreneurial boom in India and China?
A new survey of Indian and Chinese professionals and managers who studied or worked in the U.S. and then returned to their home countries finds that more than half may start their own businesses.
MIT’s Susan Hockfield writes of innovation opportunities
The new issue of Science magazine features an editorial by MIT President Susan Hockfield titled "The Next Innovation Revolution."
Obama sprints on energy, carbon, cars
If there were any doubts President Obama would move quickly on climate action they were erased with the release of his first federal budget this week.
Singapore well-positioned for technology innovation
A new report declares Singapore the nation best positioned to compete on the basis of innovation.
Where is the green consumer? Alive and well
Despite the recession, a special report from The Boston Consulting Group finds the green consumer is alive and well, even thriving.
Lowering the cost of innovation
Michael Schrage of the MIT Center for Digital Business sees inexpensive digital business experiments as a form of "innovation risk management."
Cutting costs strategically
Need to lower costs? Think about "re-featuring" your product, suggests Scott D. Anthony of Innosight.
How to find opportunity in a downturn
Bhaskar Chakravorti of Harvard Business School offers insights about entrepreneurship and innovation during a downturn,
Choosing the best places to innovate
Countries are adopting a variety of innovation strategies and policies -- and that's something executives should keep in mind, according to John Kao.
Carbon suddenly looks like a business cost
The EPA is set to regulate carbon emissions in a way that could "have a profound impact on transportation, manufacturing costs and how utilities generate power," the Times reported.
Time to work in new ways?
Could the downturn be good for collaborative innovation?
Finally! One charger for (almost all) mobile phones
At a high-tech conference a couple of years back, the grand dame of the American home, Martha Stewart, arose in the audience and brought a shopping bag of chargers up to the stage, confronting the CEO of Sony.
Measuring user innovation
A new working paper examines the prevalence -- and policy implications -- of innovations that come from technology users.
Encouragement for innovators
Tom Kelley of IDEO points out how, with persistence, initial failure can be followed by success.
Battery makers get boost under stimulus
Battery makers got a boost under the $800 billion stimulus package, spurring incentives to create new battery technologies and expand the nascent industry, the MIT Technology Review reports.
Creating a culture of innovation
The CEO of W. L. Gore & Associates offers insights into how the company has built a culture that fosters innovation.
Chu pinpoints innovation in climate change fight
In case you missed it, the NYT had an in-depth interview with Energy Secretary Steven Chu who pinpointed the need for Noble level breakthroughs in solar energy, battery storage and biofuels to battle climate change.
News from the start-up scene
How technology start-ups are faring in a tough economic environment
Innovating during a recession
One question to ask: What should your organization stop doing?
Political winds shifting on coal, wind
The WSJ blog Environmental Capital pointed out how the winds are shifting on the coal front, with states -- such as Michigan, Georgia, Montana and Nevada -- taking steps to toughen, delay or deny new plant licenses
Better days for innovation ahead?
The economic news is gloomy -- but some innovation-watchers are not.
Filling the future energy gap, plants offer model
In "Whales to Wood, Wood to Coal/Oil - What's Next?" MIT chemistry professor Daniel Nocera takes all of 15 minutes to demolish claims that biofuels, nuclear and hydro-power will fill the coming energy gap by 2050. So what's his answer?
TED Day 4 Roundup (#TED)
TEDsters smile through financial meltdown. That's the headline of a blog post WIRED's Steven Levy wrote yesterday, essentially arguing that all the optimism in the presentations ignored the multi-trillion-dollar elephant in the room: the current financial horror. TED curator Chris Anderson took that[…]
TED Day 3 Roundup (#TED)
While it's probably not healthy to consider everything in your life as the source of a new management idea, it's fascinating how so many of the talks here have management implications if you consider them in a certain way. Architect Daniel Libeskind talked about how he tried to make his work expressive[…]
Bill Gates TED Talk Now Available (#TED)
(Follow all of MIT Sloan Management Review's coverage of TED.) Yesterday I promised to direct you to the Bill Gates TED Talk video when it was posted. It is now available: