Innovations That Have Inspired Me

An essential element of KEMET that I am particularly proud of is our company’s ability to innovate. KEMET’s success for nearly 100 years is a testament to our commitment and passion for advancement. As a technology and material science company, we have innovation centers located around the world that have supported the creation of thousands of new products, patents, processes and platform releases. At our core, we are obsessed with leveraging sustainable materials science and smart people to create innovative products that solve customer challenges.

The technology and innovations from KEMET and other companies have and will continue to shape our lives. These innovations have made me stop and think about the influence on my own life. This is the first in a series in which I will discuss in detail innovations that have inspired me. I am interested in knowing which innovations have inspired you as well, so please let me know in the comments section. Perhaps, there is an innovation out there that has yet to change my life!

To get us started, here is a list (in no order of importance) of innovations and inventions that have had an impact on me and why.

1.        Jet engine – Made global travel possible and the world accessible.

2.        Lie flat seats on planes – Makes working during a long flight possible and you can get a few hours of rest.

3.        Internet – I can stay connected, informed and entertained from anywhere, anytime in the world.

4.        WIFI – At home, office, hotel, restaurants, planes, car, parks, and stores - you can always stay connected and find information.

5.        Telephone – Made communication easy and immediate.

6.        Smart phone – Makes connectivity easy, accessible and instantaneous.

7.        Credit card – Made purchasing convenient and carrying cash obsolete.

8.        ATM – I use to build these, so they are part of my career path. I believe the ATM makes the entire cash and banking process easier for the consumer.

9.        Social media – I use both personally and professionally to stay connected and informed on what is happening in the world.

10.      Lean manufacturing – Allowed KEMET to be and remain competitive.

11.      Supply chain – I learned so much about where things come from, how we get them to where we need them, and into customers’ hands.

12.      Capacitors – Since 2005, these devices have been the center of my professional life. They are an important part of our daily lives that we often take for granted.

13.      Electric guitar – Musicians can be heard in large crowds fostering enjoyment by many.

14.      Microphone – Allows me to be heard at long distances, in a variety of forums and audiences.

15.      TV – Opened up my world as child and seeing what was happening in places I had only read about.

16.      GPS – I did learn to navigate with maps on land and charts on water, but GPS is far more accurate and safer. It is hard to get lost these days.

17.      Radar and depth finder – Made marine and aerospace uses safer and predicting the weather more accurate.

18.      Catalytic converter – I lived in LA in the 1960s and smog was terrible. When I returned in the 1970s, it was much better because of the catalytic converter.

This is a short summary, and I will be going into more details about specific innovations in subsequent posts, so stay tuned. Don’t forget, I’d also like to know which technologies and innovations have changed your world and influenced your life. Please share your own story in the comments section.