Icosystems - environments to develop innovation.
We are immersed in a cycle change which will lead to a permanent transformation of our society into a global and digital world. In this new context, the creative ability and the innovation will have a much more important role in the development of territories. Our societies will need environments and people who generate fresh and disruptive thoughts, able to germinate new projects, ideas, companies… in others’ minds. They need fundamentally to interact with other people in physical and virtual platforms. These platforms or environments that stimulate creativity, connect talent and generate innovation are what I call Icosystems.
As in any form of energy, in Icosystems, the creative and innovative energy is neither created nor destroyed, but is only transformed. However, the energy that generates innovation we know is not fertile in every situation. Several conditions are needed in order to stimulate this energy. Countries and specially cities have the opportunity to create the conditions to establish these platforms and therefore to stimulate and to attract innovative talent. In order to reach this goal politicians and citizens’ participation is essential. Citizens who express their imagination and creativity in their daily lives, their families and their jobs will help to create these innovative ecosystems.
The importance of the role of the citizens means that we can distinguish between complex and simple icosystems. The complex icosystems are territorial, institutional and corporative. These would develop in countries, regions, cities and large public or private organizations. For their design and maintenance they need multidisciplinary teams, such as architects, biologists, educators, politicians, businessmen, technologists… Complex icosystems can germinate and be productive in the medium and long term. Silicon Valley, Bangalore or Apple are examples.
It is also possible to promote simple icosystems. Anyone can create its own icosystem in its immediate environment just by being more creative in his daily life or professional activity and by welcoming others’ creativity and innovation. This simple icosystem does not require long time to be productive and it is easier to generate other simple icosystems around us. Your home, a blog , a classroom or a small company can be simple icosystems.
Really the key point is to be able to integrate both icosystems. The main driving forces to generate these environments are to recognize our own capacity for individual or collective innovation, and to be proactive.
Creativity and innovation are known to generate resistance and rejection. This opposition can prevent Icosystems developing. This is why Icosystems do not expect to include everything but to act as acupuncture needles stimulating innovation to overcome opposition. This is what the urbanist Jaime Lerner means with his concept urban acupuncture. Little intervention in a city such as the construction of a square or the restructuring of a deserted building can help innovation revitalize without modifying its structure.
I think that the creation of Icosystems will help innovation be orientated, not only towards business and market, but also towards social development.
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