MaRS

I stumbled across this article in Forbes that is now a decade old, yet it seems little has changed since that time (unless someone wants to do a study on the geographic and institutional origins of failed dot-coms).

Why is it that some institutions are so good at developing people that can both invent stuff and build it for commercial use? Stanford and MIT are generally accepted as the world’s best institutions for innovation, how can the rest catch up?

BBC Innovation Lab, Midhurst
Photo by thornj

One of the key points I took away from the various commercialization forums at MaRS over the past few weeks is that creative ideas come from being in an environment where communication is natural and easy. From getting people together in a way that stimulates conversation, maybe even some constructive conflict. This does not include most typical ‘team-building’ exercises, like bowling or awkward lunches with the boss, sorry.

So if you’re not in a place where you talk to colleagues and peers, find one or build one; it’s a lot more fun. And if you’re a head honcho whose organization stifles human interaction, you might want to break down the walls (literally) and fix that, lest you fall behind the pack (i.e. the market).

Here’s a group of successful Ontario firms who are doing just that — they’ve had the foresight to create an environment in which they can meet and exchange ideas with others facing similar challenges. That’s great business strategy.