Pictures of the Future Fall 2006

Inventors & Innovators – Scenario 2020

Innovation Mentors

It’s October 2020, and we’re at the "Best Innovations of the Year" awards ceremony in a high-rise building in Shanghai. The ceremony is a meeting point for innovators from all over the world.

At a ceremony in Shanghai, Karen Sand, head of R&D at MicroSen Galaxy, proudly displays her Global Innovation Award. Fittingly, her trophy is a hologram that projects a small galaxy of sensors. On the stage, a representative of the Smart&Wear company is receiving an award for the "Best Consumer Product of 2020"—and that’s a big success for Robert, a consultant who optimized the firm’s innovation processes

And the winner of our Global Innovation Award 2020 is... MicroSen Galaxy! This company was the first to develop microsystems that perform a multitude of functions. They measure the carbon dioxide content of the air in a consultation room, the temperature in a hotel room, and the air currents in an office—and thus ensure a pleasant climate within the room. And, of course, they come complete with sensors and self-organizing radio networks. The outstanding feature of these microsystems is that they’re so small they can be added to the wall paint or concealed in the carpeting. That opens up a veritable galaxy of new possibilities." The host at the ceremony is generous with his praise as he hands Karen Sand the trophy. Karen heads the Research and Development department at MicroSen Galaxy. As she descends from the stage, she meets an old acquaintance. "Congratulations, Karen! That’s a beautiful trophy—that little hologram looks great," he says. "Robert! I haven’t seen you for so long! What’s new?"

The two of them first met in a promotional program for young innovators 14 years ago. "Look, they’re handing out the 'Best Consumer Product 2020' prize. Guess who’s been advising the Smart&Wear company about smart clothing over the past few years," says Robert. "It couldn’t possibly be you, could it?" Karen teases him. For years, Robert has advised firms on how they can improve their processes and successfully launch their innovations on the market. "My project at Smart&Wear was a real challenge. The company’s researchers and developers had loads of good ideas that were just waiting to be put into practice. But the management was obsessed with fitness clothing that did things like measuring your pulse and blood pressure, calculating the calories in the food you ate, monitoring your blood counts or giving exercise tips."

"That doesn’t sound so bad," says Karen. "Well, yes," says Robert, "but the managers had lost sight of the customers and spent too little time talking to their own marketing specialists. If they had paid more attention, they would have identified the trend toward 'fun features' much sooner." "How did you spot it?" "We used our whole range of tools: lead customer surveys, usability tests, online forums, regional market surveys and so on. We brought together everyone involved at Smart&Wear, from R&D, production, purchasing, sales and marketing—and after that it didn’t take long for people to develop creative ideas."

Robert smiles and continues: "Have you tried out this smart clothing yet? It would have been great to have had it when I was a student. There’s a roll-out display in the vest pocket and a fingertip sensor that students can use to log into a university intranet or the worldwide knowledge network within seconds. Depending on the confidentiality level, they just need an additional authentication via a voice-recognition system, and they’re ready to go."

"Oh, I know," says Karen. "My daughter Natalie has her heart set on getting the new Smart&Wear outfit for her outdoor reality role-plays. She’s turning 17 next month and will soon be going off to college." "See what I mean? It’s all about fun features!" says Robert. "Let me guess: Natalie wants to study molecular medicine, doesn’t she?" "No, she’s going for a master’s degree in space technology. Right now she’s playing with the idea of applying for the academic village in Paris. In terms of what you study, the university you apply to isn’t as important now as it was in our day. The learning modules and degree requirements at the European universities have been standardized for some time. But the counseling, services and equipment still vary, and that’s what students are looking at today. The Paris campus has research clusters that are operated jointly by the university, industry and the EU—and networked with top research institutes all over the world."

"And what’s your son Dennis planning to do?" "He wants to study music, and he’s already tried out all kinds of instruments—at top volume. Natalie was different. Even in kindergarten, she was interested in nature and technology. It was a good thing that they had those experiment boxes for kindergartens in those days. And she was lucky to have high school teachers who always encouraged their pupils to take part in promotional programs for kids who were interested in technology or in competitions like the Physics Olympics. Natalie’s school also had a sponsoring company from the industrial sector that gave pupils an insight early on into the worlds of work and business."

"I know what you mean. A good education makes all the difference between success and failure. Speaking of promotional programs, one of our former mentors, Professor Blake, is standing over there. Do you remember how he drummed the innovation processes into our heads? Take one step back, get an overview, analyze the whole picture from different perspectives. Where are the markets, is there a need for the product, where are the opportunities, where are the weak points? Remember? And his credo concerning ‘a culture of innovation’... Discuss your ideas in an open and respectful way. Even mistakes are valuable, because they prevent stagnation. People who don’t make any mistakes lack the courage to take risks! For many R&D projects, half of the investments will be wasted—you just have to find out which half! And so on…"

"Of course I remember. He was great. Especially when I was about to give up my job for family reasons, he revived my motivation and showed me how I could combine my family with my career. That was about 15 years ago, when this attitude wasn’t yet a matter of course. Today I’m a mentor myself, helping my employees deal with career and family issues. And nowadays an increasing number of men want to have more time for their families." "Well, my consulting work requires a lot of travel, so it’s hard for me to find time for my family. My appointment calendar’s always full." "Robert, that’s a shame! Are you sure you’ve optimized all your processes?" asks Karen with a smile.
                                                                                                            Ulrike Zechbauer