Break away from "not invented here"

 

Uncle Sam wants you -- to invent a miniaturized battery pack for soldiers.

Earlier this month, the Department of Defense Research & Engineering launched a contest for inventors across the U.S. to find a way to reduce the weight of the battery pack a soldier carries on a typical day in the field.  First prize is $1,000,000.  In a related CNN story, retired Army Brig. Gen. James Marks admits "It's a challenge we've had in the military forever."

The DoD is reaching beyond it stable of internal research teams and contractors to inspire creativity and engage non-traditional inventors to solve one of it's ongoing problems.  This contest is evidence the DoD is moving towards the idea of Open Innovation promoted by Henry Chesbrough.

With constrained and reducing R&D budgets, the hyper-accelerated cycles to get new products to market, and the shortened life expectancy of products in market, more businesses need to take the lead from the DoD and open some of their biggest innovation problems to a broader audience of experts.  Unfortunately, companies want to "own" their creations and work so hard to protect intellectual property, but can purchase only a very minute percentage of the knowledge and expertise available in the marketplace.  Break away from the "not invented here" syndrome...it is a sure pathway to innovation stagnation.

My prediction:  The DoD contest will be wildly successful and the solution will far surpass the expectations and criteria.

Comments

[molly]

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