innovation
Konstantinos Konstantinidis, M.D., Ph.D.
Director - ExCtu - addressing the Health Tourism Sector "Builder Class" (a.k.a. the "growth makers" and “developers”) by providing the infrastructure supporting economic activity and enabling the system to function
…the Builder Class (a.k.a. Growth Makers)- when they are zestful, retain their imagination and have deep knowledge, understanding and experience
BTW, the background image used to illustrate this article depicts “Zestful Zebra”, one of the VeeFriends characters originally hand drawn by Gary Vaynerchuk and brought to life through the innovative Web3 technology of NFTs (https://veefriends.com/zestful-zebra). Due attribution is extended to VeeFriends and Gary Vaynerchuk.
It was used to poke fun at The Economist article about the “old and the zestless” (see below).
This article was motivated by a “Briefing” article in The Economist (June 3 2023, p16 - 18) on ageing and innovation, titled “The old and the zestless”, and a letter to The Economist (July 1 2023, p3) titled “Wisdom comes with age”.
The term “zestless” means being passionless and unenthusiastic (Wiktionary).
On the other hand, “zestful” means being full of energy and enthusiasm (Cambridge Dictionary).
The issue addressed in this article is “who introduces innovations and when” (i.e., at what age) - and considers the “validity” of the claim that "the number of patents filed correlates with the number of innovations introduced".
For those interested in what I have written to date, on the subject of innovation in the context of Health Tourism, see the “compendium” (list with links):?https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/subject-health-tourism-innovation-constantinides-m-d-ph-d-/?.
For those who want to read and learn more, see towards the end of the article:
the letter
…wisdom comes with age
Like me, Eric Heinz (?https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/eheinz/?- President, Heinz Ventures, Memphis, USA) seems to disagree that innovation, as measured by patent filings, has any correlation with age.
He claims that older researchers are less interested in patenting than in mentoring and other leadership activities.
Furthermore, that there is growing evidence suggesting that innovation can continue well into old age.
He quotes a 2019 Kauffman Foundation study which found that the rate of new entrepreneurs was highest amongst Americans aged 45 - 64 - and lowest amongst those aged 20 -34 - suggesting that the more mature individuals have the skills, experience and knowledge necessary to be “successful” innovators.
This is because innovation is not “exclusively” about coming up with “inventions” - but also about bringing innovations to market and meeting unmet demands (i.e., the “45 - 64 and beyond” tend to have a better understanding of the “demand side”).
The Economist article
…the old and the zestless
On the subject of innovation, The Economist article starts off by informing us that psychologists claim that younger people have more “fluid intelligence” (i.e., the ability to solve new problems and engage with new ideas) whereas older people have more “crystallized intelligence”.
Of course, this is a “generalization”, because, for example, those who know me, and the work I do, will readily attest to the fact that I am engaged in solving new problems, on an ongoing basis - and that I constantly engage with new ideas - and that I certainly, do not have crystallized ideas.
Although The Economist article concedes that there are no precise “cut-offs”, it also refers to “most studies” which suggest that fluid intelligence tends to peak in early adulthood and then begins to decline in people’s 30s.
Furthermore, quoting a study, the article suggests that there is a direct correlation between innovation and age, as determined by the age of those who file patents.
The same article also makes a distinction between “disruptive” as opposed to “incremental” innovation - and that age determines the type of innovatng done.
Specifically, the very youngest inventors file patents which are described as “completely novel” and “discipline-changing” - whereas the patents filed by the “more mature” inventors tend to be “incremental”.
Innovation is not about Invention
…and can, at the same time be, both, disruptive and incremental
Of course, it needs to be “firmly” pointed out that “innovation” is not about “invention”.
See my LinkedIn article:?https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/repurposing-form-innovation-constantine-constantinides-m-d-ph-d-/?.
For the most part, “innovation” is about re-arrangement, transformation or repurposing of the “existing”.
In other words, it is about things that already exist which are re-arranged, transformed or repurposed.
In its “simplest”, innovation is taking two things that exist and putting them together in a new way (Tom Freston - of Viacom fame and founder of MTV).
I like to point to the fact that Apple did not invent the iPhone – instead, the Company, under the guidance of Steve Jobs, compiled it (i.e., put it together) from existing components which were combined in a unique way (in a process known as Combinational Innovation).
As for “repurposing”, inventions can be repurposed (innovatively), as we have seen with that quintessential invention, the wheel.
Its “original” purpose of the wheel (in conjunction with an axle) was to allow heavy objects to be moved easily facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load.
Subsequently, it was repurposed to serve as a:
Furthermore, innovation can, at the same time be, both, disruptive and incremental.
For example, Contemporary Health Tourism (a.k.a. - and synonymous with - ht8) came about as a result of “disruptive innovation” (through the process of Benevolent Disruption) and “by adding something new to something old” (incremental innovation).
See:
those who innovate
…the Builder Class (a.k.a. Growth Makers)
Very briefly, I have concluded that those who innovate are the zestful who retain their imagination - regardless of age.
In Contemporary Health Tourism, those who are encouraged and enabled to innovate (regardless of age) belong to the Builder Class (who are known as the Growth Makers).
See: the Builder Class - a.k.a. the Growth Makers -?https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/constantine-constantinides-m-d-ph-d-a22912197_builderclass-growthmakers-getthingsdone-activity-7034327835695562753-l9cw/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop?.
when innovators do their “best” innovating
...not “age-related”
As for when innovators do their best innovating, it is when they are zestful, retain their imagination and have deep knowledge, understanding and experience.
most “de facto” innovations are introduced, adopted and implemented without being patented
…e.g., Open Innovations
I have the impression that most “de facto” innovations are introduced, adopted and implemented - without having been patented.
For example, none of the several innovations I introduced to Health Tourism were patented.
BTW, I aimed for the introduced innovations to be “open innovations”.
Open Innovation is a term used to promote an information age mindset, which to a large degree, is about innovation that runs counter to the secrecy and silo mentality typical of – and associated with - conventional corporate Policy and Strategy - (especially encountered in companies which have their own research labs – or “agendas”).
In simpler terms, Open Innovation is about promoting an information age mindset – which, in today’s complex world, sees competitors embrace cooperation.
See: Open Innovation in Health Tourism - benefiting companies participating in a scheme involving Global Collaboration -?https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/open-innovation-health-tourism-constantinides-m-d-ph-d-/?.
the meaning of Innovation
…and how to recognize it
“Innovation” is something we all recognize when we encounter it – but struggle to define it, in a succinct and coherent way.
I regard “innovation” to be the process which converts knowledge, understanding and ideas into:
The definitions I have “shortlisted” are:
?the “innovation categories” of relevance to Health Tourism
…Combinational, Permissionless and Open
In the context of Health Tourism, instead of the seven innovation “categories”, of the Global Innovation Index, I concluded that the following are of sector-specific relevance:
In most cases, each innovation happens to be “all three”.
?what innovation should do
…create a bigger pie – more pies
Contemporary Health Tourism is “opportunity-laden” and set on a trajectory for Organic Economic Growth (for the Sector and its “industry players”).
In short, Contemporary Health Tourism has been designed to encourage and enable organic economic growth.
This “enablement”, to a large degree, is attributed to the fact that Contemporary Health Tourism encourages and enables innovation (not least by the tools and resources provided by the Health Tourism sandbox).
Seen somewhat differently, Contemporary Health Tourism has been designed to grow the pie and enable the creation of more pies.
One way to contrast the conventional with the contemporary is by considering the former as rumination and the latter as innovation.
Chief Executive Officer at INDICO.
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