African ingenuity

Maker Fair Africa show cased over 100 African innovations. Core 77 team captures them. Link:
http://www.core77.com/gallery/photos_search.asp?album_id=107&context_id=1&page_no=1

Corporate Gurukul

Corporate Gurukul aimed at training graduates and under graduates on industry readiness was promoted by alumnus of SPJIMR, Rajesh Panda and Radhika Datar. In short period of 18 months, they trained over 5000 graduates & under graduates and assessed over 50,000 participants on industry readiness / employability.

Made to Stick- why some ideas surive and others die

Most ideas die soon after birth- a shattering moment to all innovators. In this book, authors Chip Heath (Prof in OB from Graduate School of Business at Stanford University) and Dan Heath (consultant at Duke Corporate Education) give us 6 tips to make ideas survive. Simplicity, Unexpectedness, Concreteness, Credibility, Emotional and Stories are the tools, illustrated with cases including one Indian case `Safexpress' . Read more about the book at:
www.madetostick.com

Challenge patent and get paid

Article One Partners is a global science and technology firm that offers members premium compensation of up to $50,000 for submitting prior art evidence to support or challenge selected patents. Founded in November 2008, AOP has built a platform for a human-powered search for researching patent validity evidence.

Indian Innovators Association signs Partnering Agreement with Article One Partners, LLC, The Blue Chip Standard for Patent Validity Research. Article One Partners offers rewards ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 ($US) for technology experts who can deliver research (called “prior art”) which will validate or invalidate certain Intellectual Property patents.

You can learn more and register to begin earning rewards for your efforts at www.articleonepartners.com/iia.

Global Innovation Networks (GIN): monograph on Electronics by Dieter Ernst

This monograph titled `A new geography of knowledge in the electronics industry? Asia's role in Global Innovation Networks' gives a detailed account of GIN, that integrates dispersed engineering, product developments and research activities across geographic borders. Innovative capabilities require R&D and patents and also soft capabilities such as:

• sense and respond to market trends
• recruit and retain knowledge workers
• engage in global sourcing of knowledge from components to ideas
• raise money
• deliver unique and user friendly designs
• develop innovation process management
• manage knowledge exchange
• participate in global standard setting
• develop branding strategy

Obviously the `soft skills' are in short supply.

What ails Indian electronic industry. Has the downfall started with renaming `Department of Electronics' to `Department of Information Technology'?
Download the report from : http://www.EastWestCenter.org/pubs/3242

Returns for `Freedom to Fail' Innovators grant

I had an opportunity to articulate my views on this subject at APIN conference on 6th August. What returns are expected for a government program like TePP? Government is an investor like angel investor, VC firm, Bank. Unlike those financial instruments, TePP gives money as grant, i.e free money. Also the beneficiary retains all rights on IP and technology commercialisation.

Is picking winners the aim of the program? Obviously not. There are other programs targeting Indian innovations for showcasing in global market.

TePP aims to cover risks so that more and more innovators actually take the risk.Then the question is -can mindset of millions be changed by providing grants to hundreds. This addresses the thin line dividing `private good' and `public good'. If innovators benefit from liberal government grant and keep all benefit to themselves, the grant works like a subsidy to few. On the other hand, if supported innovators, inspire and motivate many others, then there will be `public good' in the form of reduced risk aversion. How can that be done? Tipping point, viral impact are come of the concepts that show the way.

Hundreds of supported innovators can influence the minds of millions if they are capable, committed and communicative.

From my experience, I have found the last is the most important factor. The beneficiaries need to talk about their innovation, the TePP program and supportive eco-system of the nation to one and all, at all times. They need to be ambassadors of good will for government.

We cannot build a national eco-system in an environment characterised by negative thought and cynical views of government. Let us learn the art of paying back to society.

Maker Faire Africa

An exhibition showcasing African ingenuity is held in Ghana from 14-16th August. Some of those innovations can be seen on their site http://makerfaireafrica.com/

Technology offer for Infant warmer

Villgro in partnership with Dr. Sathya Jeganathan (Neo Natal Specialist at Chengalpetu Medical College Hospital) has developed a Low Cost, Low Maintenance Infant Warmer targeted at the Rural Healthcare System

They are interested in transferring the Technology and related Know How to an Entrepreneur for commercialisation of the Infant Warmer.

Contact:

Rajeev Surana (Senior Associate – Technology Transfer)

Villgro (formerly Rural Innovation Network)

20/6, Lakshmipuram, 2nd Street, Lloyds Road,

Royapettah, CHENNAI 600014 (India)

t: 91-44-28112108 Ext.32

m: 91-9381755790

rajeev@rinovations.org

www.rinovations.org

Miner Tracking system from CIMFR

Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR), Dhanbad, India with funding from Department of Information Technology (DIT), developed following wireless technologies first time in India:
(i) Miners’ tracking system,
(ii) Proximity warning system,
(iii) System for preventing vehicle collisions,
(iv) Route tracing system for opencast transport vehicles,
(v) System for providing warning signals when miner entering the unsafe area,
(vi) Underground gas monitoring system, and
(v) Message communication system.
The core system component is ZigBee-compliant active Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) device.
Contact for details and technology transfer:

Dr. L.K. Bandyopadhyay,

Scientist G,

Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research,

Barwa Road, Dhanbad – 826015, Jharkhand, India,

Telefax: +91-326-2296045,

Mob.: 09431145241

E-mail: laxmikb@yahoo.com

New model of M tech and PhD programs from CSIR

To meet the shortage of researchers , primarily in engineering, CSIR has taken an initiative to start its own training program. The 2 year post graduate program with 8 capsules has been announced. More are on the cards. The rational for CSIR getting into this space is that very few bright engineering students enroll for M Tech and PhD programs those few would either leave country or join MNC R&D centers. Very few IITians joined CSIR in the last decade. The pacakge offered by CSIR is attractive- they get paid during training and absorbed in CSIR after training. Scientists of CSIR labs like CEERI have been very active in supporting academeic activity and will now take additional responsibility. The pilot run attracted good response from students. Details:
http://www.csir.res.in/CSIR/csirpgrp/pgrtpe.htm

India leading Japanese in Automobile design!!!

Mahindra introduced Fuel smart system in October 2008. The press release states "The system is based on the simple principle of not burning fuel when it is not required. It automatically detects moments, during the drive, when the vehicle is idle and stops the engine. This conserves fuel, leading to reduced running costs, and also leads to reduced emissions. FuelSmart technology, thus, marks another innovative first by one of India’s leading auto companies". Much later Mazda introduced new generation car, which has iStop engine system described as "As a driver comes up to a stoplight, heavy traffic or anything that will halt forward progress, the clutch it depressed and the engine is then allowed to enter the paused mode.When it pauses, the combustion mixture is already in place and ready for ignition, so little or no help from the starter is needed. When the clutch is engaged again, the engine will automatically start in less than .35 seconds and be ready to provide power to get you moving again. While in the pause mode, a green indicator light will illuminate on the dash".

Infection fighting hospital designs

For long, hospital is known as main source of infection and Brits have taken lead to find solution. British NHS invited proposals from designers and the response was designs for several equipment that were easy to clean. Details at : http://inventorspot.com/articles/hospitals_30132

Subtractive Rapid Prototyping (SRP)

Giving `'form' to a new ` idea' is a critical phase in product concept generation and rapid prototyping is becoming less expensive with new generation printers leading the desk top digital fabrication trend. MDX 40A Milling machine is one such a new tool. Details at http://www.rolanddga.com/asd/products/milling/MDX40A/

Digital Open competition for youth

Digital Open is an online community and competition for global youth below 17 years. Submit proposal at http://digitalopen.org/home

India Innovation Pioneers Challenge 2009 (IIPC)

IIPC , a collaborative work of Indo US Science & Technology Forum, INTEL and DST was launched in 2007. This years competition in Scholar Sparks category attracted 122 entries and 18 teams were shortlisted for presentation on 14th July in Bangalore. Champion of Champion category attracted 15 entries and 8 teams were selected for presentation on 15th July in Bangalore.

Marico `Innovation for India 2010 awards'

For this year’s awards, Marico invites innovations from across India in Business, Business leveraging social, Social and Governance sectors. Within the Business category, innovations can be in the form of Product, Process, Service and Business Model. The Social domain would include innovations impacting health, education and poverty. The Public Service Category includes all innovations where the Central or State government or any wing of the government including public-private partnership has innovated.

All those who have successfully innovated in any of the above domains over the last 5 years and would like to apply for the awards, may please complete the attached application form or visit http://www.maricoinnovationfoundation.org/Innovation_for_India_Awards_2010.pdf. You may also send it to awards@erehwonconsulting.com

For any clarification you may call Chhavi Goyal on tel on 080- 40535000 or cell no +91 9740258132. Last date for sending in entries is 30 September 2009.

Fab5 Digital Fabrication symposium in Pune

The Fifth International Fab Lab Forum and Symposium on Digital Fabrication will be be held in Pune from 16th to 21st August 2009. See
details at:
http://cba.mit.edu/events/meetings.html

http://cba.mit.edu/events/09.08.FAB5/

http://fabfoundation.org

Venue: College of Engineering, Pune

Innovator Michael Jackson

MJ is known for many things- also as innovator, who invented and patented "system for allowing a shoe wearer to lean forwardly beyond his center of gravity by virtue of wearing a specially designed pair of shoes" (US patent5,255,452). A heel slot in the shoes gets hitched to retractable pegs in a stage floor. Wearing the shoes, Jackson (or anyone) could seem to lean past his center of gravity without toppling. The effect would be most striking in live performances, during which harnesses and wires would be too cumbersome or impossible to disguise.
Source: USA Today

Global Security Challenge Competition 2009

GSC is now accepting applications in `Most promising security idea'.
The award is designed to support and promote researchers, infant companies (with no revenue), and any other inventors who just have an idea for a security solution.The winners of this category will receive: $10,000 cash grant, sponsored by Accenture.

The awarding ceremony for the Most Promising Security Idea will take place at the Security Summit of the Global Security Challenge held at London Business School on November 13, 2009. Eligible entrants must be a company, or one or more individuals, whose idea did not generate revenue in 2008. Deadline for Submissions: September 1, 2009 at 11.59 GMT.

Enter by using online submission system

`Public' funds for `Private' R&D

Providing grants / soft loans/ risk capital to `for profit' organisations by government agencies is based more on personal conviction than consensus or empirical data. Read this analysis ` What difference do IWT R&D grants make for their clients'. This study is path breaking, it moves away from out put/ out come to behavior additionality. They rightly pointed that evaluation of R&D projects with focus only on output will induce government agencies to select low risk, short term projects. More important from national perspective are the behavioural changes, the spin offs that linger on after completion of funded project. Also read my paper at SSRN on the same topic.