Thursday September 9th, 2010
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T&T ranks low in global innovation
Published: 10 Dec 2009
From left, Dr Colin McDonald, director, Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme; Sandra Chin Yuen Kee, secretary, South Trinidad Chamber of Industry and Commerce Council; Dr Ron Sookram, director, Centre for Corporate Responsibility Programme; and Prof Miguel Carrillo, executive director, Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business. PHOTO: SHIRLEY BAHADUR
Developed countries continue to dominate the top ten places of the INSEAD Global Innovation Index (GII), with the United States in first position, Germany second, Sweden third and the United Kingdom placing fourth. T&T placed 65th out of 82 countries.
This information was disclosed at the launch of two new research centres—the Centre for Corporate Responsibility and the Centre for Entrepreneurship & Innovation—at the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business by Prof Miguel Carrillo, executive director of the school, on Tuesday. “This means that we are a small country…that’s not doing anything. What are we waiting for?” asked Carrillo. “We need to become protagonists,” he said, explaining that in keeping with the Vision 2020 National Strategic Plan, the school is here to assist in developing an “innovation mindset.”
Carrillo presented his findings from a research exercise, which analysed the extent of the use of key words used in six local companies’ annual reports in the last two years that suggest on orientation toward innovation and entrepreneurship. It was found that the words “experimentation” and “exploration” were not mentioned at all; “entrepreneurship” twice; “learning” four times; and “innovation” six times. However, the word “risk” was mentioned 1,109 times; “cost” 704 times; and “opportunity” 137 times. Carrillo said the Innovation Centre will support the design of a national system of innovation through “research on the core and wider setting, generating information and knowledge for government that will assist in the design of an innovation policy, and qualitative social research, field work and observation.”
This innovation mindset
This innovation mindset ethos is defiantly the way forward and it would be great to see events like this receive more support. My business just received guidance evaluation from a very good Trianz consultancy and you can see from it the impact that new mindsets like this could have and the potential on a global scale too.
Hmmm corruption really seems
Hmmm corruption really seems to be one of our main exports, imagine an ex PM whos served time in jail for corruption and still facing corruption charges, is our opposition leader and represents a significant proportion of the country in parliament. SWEET TNT I GUESS. However one can be assured that corruption is not limited to the developing world, many organisations in developed countries do not get their own hands dirty but instead pay local agents who normally get a "success fee". Hawley (2000) purports that until recently many "developed" countries like France, Germany and the UK treated bribes as legitimate business expenses which could be claimed for tax deduction purposes. If you think that Trinbago is so corrupt have a look at this book: EXPORTING CORRUPTION; PRIVATISATION, MULTINATIONALS AND BRIBERY, THE CORNER HOUSE, JUNE 2000 by DR.SUSAN HAWLEY.
You see If I had stayed in
You see If I had stayed in Trinidad what would have happened. Loadsa talkers. Here in the UK, the manager in an R&D labs told me " I like it, go do it stay in budget", Then you get transferred international to R&D lao manager, from the UK with a budget of near 400,000 TT $ equivalent and you pay them off with their confidence in you with a 2.5 Million USD business over 5 years till they put a vac unit in, That is innovation external to Trinidad with people who really respect you and push you along. The story continues and you know what fellow bloggers, I asked the Guardian and Express if they will publish my achievements and my photo and my patents, you know what?: you guess: not a damn answer from either one, Does that tell you something? I get more appreciation from Americans and British and the international community than my own people. wasters!
WHEN IT COMES TO CORRUPTION
WHEN IT COMES TO CORRUPTION -
We are very innovative. They judged us in the wrong category.
USA is NOT #1. Here's the
USA is NOT #1. Here's the list of most innovative countries, with China being the fastest upward moving country in the world ("China is climbing up the world innovation rankings faster than other countries. Since the Economist Intelligence Unit first published its global innovation index two years ago, China has moved up from 59th to 54th in the ranking -- an improvement we thought would take five years has been achieved in just two.") From: Economist Intelligence Unit.
1. Japan
2. Switzerland
3. Finland
4. US
5. Sweden
6. Germany
7. Taiwan
8. Netherlands
9. Israel
10. Denmark
11. South Korea
12. Austria
13. France
14. Canada
15. Belgium
It would be interesting to consider what role classical music plays in creativity and innovation considering that of the top 10 countries, 8 have comprehensive music education in schools - China more recently joined this group having compulsory music education along with language and maths for a minimum of 7 years from kindergarten - (could music education be the reason for China's unprecedented upward ascent?) USA on the other hand is falling behind - they used to be No. 1 - not any more.
Don't hate on the USA, the
Don't hate on the USA, the obsolete things that the USA donates to tThird World Countries (ala Trinidad) is considered new technology.
In Trinidad and Tobago,
In Trinidad and Tobago, politicians and those at the corporate level love to use the latest buzz words but there is no action in terms of research and development. We have to begin this process at the high school level and also transform UWI, COSTAATT; UTT and other entities into research institutions. We love to use the term first world status; however, in countries like the United States, both the federal, state and local governments and also the private sector fund R&D and encourage innovation and research. Years ago, Dr, George Sammy and others began the process but it was killed.
To NYC-Trini: I don't know
To NYC-Trini: I don't know who you are but if you are determined to communicate with me why don't you post your email or temp gmail and let me do the rest.
My temp gmail ac is
My temp gmail ac is ddncnyfl@gmail.com. I am off for weekend. B back on line Sunday - Monday. Going to Florida for two days.
NYC-Trini
It is not that T&T lacks
It is not that T&T lacks inventors; it is because the government is ignorant of its role in a smaller country in the development of inventions. Not only is government ignorant, it is destructive of invention. Thus, if an invention does not full fill a political need, such as g-pan and carried on a PR platform, rather than on a business platform, it is picked up, exposed, an inadvertently dumped.
There is no proper path for an inventor in T&T to follow without having to either hand over his invention to others near completely, or have his invention exposed, not adequately funded, and die from lack of timely follow up. Thus, any experienced inventor in T&T leaves T&T when he or she can.
The net result is T&T is where it is because what appears to be a route to invention development is in fact an invitation to have your invention either taken away, or stolen. As many inventors usually are not that stupid to be conned by the superficial route, nothing gets done.
The People of T&T may feel that there is a Vision 2020 base on invention, but that vision has long been a failed bait for invention, and now a failed vote catching mantra.
To test the truth of what is said above, ask these questions of the competent authority>
1. What is the average citizen’s ability to pay for a patent (VS one in say the USA)? $10,000 VS $50,000
2. What does government offer in assistance? $200. VS 'Google' SBIR
3. Who makes up the short fall? The private sector (But we know that the private sector in T&T is dysfunctional in terms of R&D, risk taking, etc, so, no one (or a miniscule amount) in T&T does). In the US there are literally thousands of institutions that are available.
4. Conclusion? Read again the top of this note.
Look at the photo. Has any of those even consulted an inventor as to the problems? They don't have a clue. They are not even in the same reality > like > fish trying to ride bike
NYC-Trini
JT where are you? What's
JT where are you? What's your phone number? Or better, just set up a temp G-mail address and let me know here what it is. You can dump it after use. You don't have to use your real name in setting up an address. You ID will be protected.
NYC-Trini
That does not surprise me.
That does not surprise me. One of the reasons why countries are developed is because they do not stifle innovation and creativity. They profit from it, both politically and economically. There is no insecurity because those at the top are well educated and well trained at their professions. In small countries and the so called third world most of the people who are at the controls usually are quite the opposite. Untrained, uneducated, and insecure. Most of them got where they were thru longetivity. Creativity and innovation are stifled because these traits threaten their very insecure existence. But times are changing and maybe in another decade or two, these countries will be led by trained and educated professionals who will not feel threatened by innovators but welcome them.