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..invention is the product of a creative or curious mind and by itself is not inherently useful. Innovation however, is something that changes the life of the customer in some way, or the world in which the customer experiences things. In his definition an idea or invention is not innovative unless it is commercialised – and if we take the rule of thumb that 90% of the cost of getting a product to market is in the commercialisation process (rather than the R&D / invention process), then we need to spend a lot more time and effort commercialising our inventions and our science, engineering, and technology smarts.
This is precisely where Callaghan Innovation will be operating, as an accelerator in the commercialisation process, both on the side of existing and new businesses, exporters and customers, - i.e. the demand side - and on the science, engineering, and technology front,- i.e. the supply side.
We see a key role for Callaghan Innovation to be bringing many new and varied combinations of people together, both generally to multiply the innovation gene, and specifically in terms of projects that we seek or are appointed to drive.
We will be catalysers, instigators, initiators, head-butters, hand-shakers, networkers, project managers, finders.
Quite often Callaghan Innovation will be in new territory, blue ocean, managing projects and problems that have not been tackled before. Indeed one of our ways of looking at the world will be through the lens of “innovative problems” rather than an “innovative solutions” approach.
There are many instances whereby New Zealand could be billions better off if the right questions were asked and asked hard enough. Creativity is usually found in the service of problem-solving, and we will certainly be looking for big problems that offer the opportunities to make big winning gains and create new industries.
A key observation is that saving money and preventing fiscal drag contributes as much to the economy as creating new lines of revenue.
Callaghan Innovation will also be a place where people will be required to stretch their imaginations. To use a show business maxim that Steve Jobs took to heart, “don’t give people what they want, give them what they never thought was possible.” We want you to expect the unexpected, for Callaghan Innovation to be a place where surprising combinations of people come together to solve problems and make breakthroughs.
In summary, the approach of Callaghan Innovation is that innovation can only be considered to have occurred at the point of commercialisation – and this requires an absolute focus on the needs of markets and communities and individual consumers.
So there we have it. I agree that it's a bit pointless inventing something that has no ready market. Usually, but not always. Sometimes the market finds the product, or marketing surveys get it wrong. But Steven Joyce reckons that marketing and advertising will provide the answers we need to gain billions in earnings. That is his one previous area of expertise I think. He made a few million flicking on a radio advertising company. I'm just not so sure he'll be so keen on the bleeding edge of R&D. There are some big savings to be made here, it's so easy. Yeah, he's well out of his depth, and so is Sue Suckling, who is a high-powered director and helps run a