Managing Ideas, Inventions, & IP. 
Displaying articles and pages tagged with:
Innovation
Show All Articles
Predicted Uptick in M&A Activity in Food & Beverage Industry: How does this affect IP?
A number of acquisitions have appeared in the food and beverage industry in the past several years, including Kraft and Heinz, JAB Holding and Keurig, and most recently the thwarted acquisition of Unilever by Kraft Heinz. Companies would be wise to not only assess the business landscape of potential consolidation in the industry, but consider the IP landscape and patent owner shifts if more of the largest food & beverage corporations merge.
POSTED BY Jeff Goodwin and Nancy Edwards Cronin AT 12:18 P.M. March 6, 2017
TAGS: Innovation | Nancy Edwards Cronin | Strategy | Jeff Goodwin | Mergers and AcquisitionsThe Internet of Things (IoT) and Implications for Intellectual Property Part III: Alexa today, where tomorrow?
In our second installment of The Internet of Things (IoT), Data, and the Implications for Intellectual Property, we discussed the relationship of data and IoT devices. In this final installment, let's look ahead to the potential future of IoT.
The number of companies that are actively seeking IP protection in this area has rapidly increased. A chart created with ipCapital Group's patent research software, ipCG Innovation Integrator, demonstrates that from 2007 and 2016, there was a 1300% increase in patents related to the IoT.
POSTED BY Charles E. Root Jr. MS. and Nancy Edwards Cronin AT 8:07 P.M. January 20, 2017
TAGS: Innovation | Invention | Nancy Edwards Cronin | Process | Strategy | Charles E. Root Jr. MS. | IoT | Big DataChina and the Next Great Wall: Part II
China's history of largely ignoring foreign patents is changing quickly as their largest technology companies look for meaningful IP protections for their innovations. China seems to be well underway in the development of a solid IP national system for protection of IP rights. R&D investment and new regulations for equity investments spark innovation, while stronger patent laws and more fair litigation demonstrate the country's approach to IP protection.
POSTED BY Michael D'Andrea AND Eva Carreira AT 10:08 A.M. Nov 23, 2016
TAGS: Innovation | Strategy | ChinaThe Internet of Things and Intellectual Property: Who Owns the Data?
In our first installment of The Internet of Things (IoT), Data, and the Implications on Intellectual Property, we discussed the need to understand the full landscape of IoT, not just devices. In this second part, let's talk about "big data". All of these devices and the data they will create, hold, transmit and interact with raises a unique Intellectual Property (IP) question. Who owns the data?
POSTED BY Charles E. Root Jr. MS. and Nancy Edwards Cronin AT 1:48 P.M. May 17, 2016
TAGS: Innovation | Invention | Nancy Edwards Cronin | Process | Strategy | Charles E. Root Jr. MS. | IoT | Big DataHow Can Data Drive Medical Device Innovation?
ipCapital Group recently had the privilege of attending the 2016 BIOMEDevice Boston conference. Although the array of gears, wheels, pumps, membranes, molds, tubes and tools we witnessed was impressive, from our view, it was the data that stole the show. The Biomedical Innovation series of presentations focused heavily on the quest to collect, store and (somehow) utilize data, and made it clear that data is driving the cutting edge of the medical device industry. Three main themes emerged:
- Data is creating patient expectations;
- The gap between behavioral data and diagnostic data must be bridged; and
- Data collected must address a defined problem.
POSTED BY Jeff Padgett AT 5:29 P.M. Apr 28, 2016
TAGS: Innovation | Strategy | Health Care | Jeff PadgettIs "Ad Hoc" Innovation Good Enough?
As innovation consultants, we have a front row seat to watch (and help) companies learn how to be innovative. We've seen a lot of companies take a variety of approaches to innovation. One of the most common we see is what we call the "ad hoc" approach. This is a fancy way of saying "let's invent something and then see if we can sell it!" Although this approach is very common, it very rarely works well. We have a better approach. See how we helped a company in the health care industry apply four fundamental ingredients for a successful innovation strategy.POSTED BY Robert McDonald and Jeff Padgett AT 1:23 P.M. Apr 7, 2016
TAGS: Innovation | Process | Strategy | Robert McDonald | Health Care | Jeff Padgett | Ad hoc | Big DataThe Smart Grid Demands Innovation: Are you Ready?
The electrical energy delivery system, the Grid, looks today very much like it has for the past century. However, over the past two decades, customer demand for grid performance has driven the development of new technology. The Grid is transforming from a one-way flow of energy into a Smart Grid that allows for the two-way flow of both energy and data back and forth between all nodes. Some expect that over $20B dollars will be spent annually over the next 20 years to effect this transformation. To take advantage of these opportunities, innovation is needed, and it is needed now.POSTED BY Jeff Padgett AT 1:48 P.M. Mar 8, 2016
TAGS: Creativity | Innovation | Smart Home | Jeff PadgettCan Innovation Heal Healthcare?
To say that the healthcare industry is under intense pressure to change is an obvious understatement. But in a large and mature industry how do we begin to understand the scope and scale of the change needed? Working with our clients, and a review of the literature has made it clear that there are three broad areas that can provide a framework for change.
POSTED BY Robert McDonald AT 3:57 P.M. Mar 3, 2016
TAGS: Innovation | Process | Strategy | Robert McDonald | Health Care | Big Data | TelemedicineEmergence of Hand Wearable Technology, Intellectual Property
All companies are walking a fine line as they merge and innovate in smart wearables. The open spaces are quickly filling up. Proper care has to be taken to guard the innovation process to maintain an open space for the newest smart wearables to flourish. Any company, large or small, should be alert and constantly innovating to keep a competitive edge when addressing this market.
POSTED BY Justin Kunz and AJ Knowles AT 4:08 P.M. March 1, 2016
TAGS: Disruption | Innovation | Invention | Strategy | Justin Kunz | IoT | Wearables | Smart HomeThe Internet of Things (IoT) and Implications on Intellectual Property
While the Internet of Things (IoT) is not new, we are now seeing the refinement of the devices, communication protocols, and data management that was not possible a few years ago. There is a forthcoming convergence of multiple product and technology spaces in this this new world of a predicted 50 billion "things," and the possibility for growth in markets and IP are enormous. IoT is a wide-ranging technological space. So we are publishing a short series on IoT and intellectual property (IP) to highlight some opportunities and challenges that we see, beyond the standard scope of everyday articles being circulated.
POSTED BY Charles E. Root Jr. MS. and Nancy Edwards Cronin AT 4:07 P.M. February 18, 2016
TAGS: Innovation | Invention | Nancy Edwards Cronin | Process | Charles E. Root Jr. MS. | IoT | WearablesThe Four Pillars of Implementable Innovation
One of the complex problems that we have been focusing on recently is how to make innovation more successful. We measure innovation success as a combination of both the number of new innovations and the rate of successful implementation. Innovation without implementation serves neither a company nor its customers. From our work with clients we have concluded that there are four major elements necessary to have any chance of creating focused, implementable innovation that meets your business needs: The Four Pillars.
POSTED BY Robert McDonald AT 4:55 P.M. Jan 28, 2016
TAGS: Innovation | Process | Strategy | Robert McDonaldAdvantages of Improving Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in India
Traditionally, knowledge was viewed in India as something that is created and put in the public domain. However, this does not fit with the global understanding of strongly protected IPR. Hence, there is a need to show the value of transforming knowledge into IP assets.
POSTED BY Nagesh Kadaba AT 1:57 P.M. January 25, 2016
TAGS: Innovation | StrategyAdam Bulakowski, Principal Partner, is the Author of "The Future of Banking Profits: Innovation Decisions for Retail and Commercial Banks"
In this whitepaper, Adam outlines the changing customer and competitor landscapes facing today’s banking industry and argues that developing a thoughtful innovation strategy, considering changes with both customer needs and competition, is necessary to maintain profitability.
POSTED BY ipCG Team AT 4:06 P.M. January 15, 2016
TAGS: Adam Bulakowski | ipCG Team | Innovation | Strategy | BankingTwo Directions of Open Innovation
For more than a decade, firms have focused much of their "open innovation" (OI) efforts on one direction - inbound OI. The push has been fueled in part by a wealth of scholarly articles and disclosures by the likes of Procter & Gamble about accessing the marketplace of outside ideas. The outbound direction of OI, while arguably less intuitive, offers a number of opportunities for firms to capture value from either internally generated or acquired innovation.
POSTED BY Adam Bulakowski AT 12:21 P.M. December 17, 2015
TAGS: Adam Bulakowski | Innovation | Outside Publication | Open InnovationBarriers to Innovation: The Greatest Idea in the World Is Only As Good as the Process that Put It Together
The Apple Watch is, as usual for Apple, a trailblazing product that not only showcases a new product, but opens up a path to grow a new area of technology. It is also another example of true innovation struggling against internal and external forces, all of which try to hamper innovation, harming sales and damaging the development of exciting technology. As with other examples, the Watch is proof that process is just as important as the innovation when it comes to implementing great ideas.
POSTED BY Chris Huffines AT 1:33 P.M. Sep 22, 2015
TAGS: Chris Huffines | Innovation | Invention | ProcessSpiraling Healthcare Costs - Mergers are not the answer, innovation is.
What is really required to make a significant change to the overall cost of healthcare delivery and its associated industry of health insurance? The answer is innovation, both in how people are cared for and how they pay for it.
POSTED BY Robert McDonald and Charles E. Root Jr. MS. AT 3:12 P.M. July 14, 2015
TAGS: Creativity | Innovation | Charles E. Root Jr. MS. | Robert McDonald | Wearables | Health CareExtending the Financial Impact of Innovation
Innovation capabilities, from understanding customers to commercializing new products, determine financial success for nearly all firms in today's economy. By building a capability to manage IP, a firm maximizes the potential for a lasting return on innovation.
POSTED BY Adam Bulakowski AT 4:12 P.M. July 6, 2015
TAGS: Adam Bulakowski | Commercialization | Innovation | Invention | StrategyThree things to know about Disney's Future Aerial Shows
The Walt Disney Company was recently awarded a number of issued patents for future unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV or UAS or drone) integration into its aerial shows. By patent protecting this technology and technology application, Disney may keep competitors (e.g., Universal Studios) aerial display shows "on the ground".
POSTED BY Cody Barrette AT 1:30 P.M. June 18, 2015
TAGS: Entertainment | Innovation | Invention | Strategy | Cody BarretteChina and the next Great Wall
Valuable IP will define an upcoming chapter in China’s growth story. China recognizes that innovation is an imperative for its long-term economic growth. Less discussed amongst the country’s initiatives to promote innovation is the fact that China’s national system for protecting IP rights continues to strengthen. The rapid evolution of China’s IP system requires emergent IP strategies from all domestic and foreign firms.
POSTED BY Adam Bulakowski AT 9:28 A.M. May 12, 2015
TAGS: Adam Bulakowski | Innovation | Strategy | ChinaReboot Your Innovation Strategy
Is your business strategy aligned with the current market? Or, are you exhausting resources on innovations for a bygone market opportunity? Reboot your innovation strategy with a broader perspective.
POSTED BY Adam Bulakowski AT 5:45 P.M. Jul 25, 2012
TAGS: Adam Bulakowski | Innovation | Process | StrategyOvercoming Barriers to Innovation and IP Creation - PART 5: FINDING BUDGET
This final article in a series of five on barriers to innovation and IP creation explores ideas for overcoming having no resources or budget. Learn how an effective “ROI story,” communicated to executives, can help you obtain dedicated budget to invest in staff, infrastructure, and tools needed to drive your innovation and IP initiatives.
POSTED BY Jed Cahill AT 8:02 A.M. Jun 19, 2012
TAGS: Innovation | Jed Cahill | ProcessOvercoming Barriers to Innovation and IP Creation - PART 4: MOTIVATING ACTION
Having a dedicated innovation or IP leader responsible for managing execution according to a documented process is essential for putting strategy into action. But even a well-defined strategy and process and won’t run itself. People make the strategy go. So, how can you help your organization motivate action by the teams and individuals needed to achieve your innovation and IP goals? How can you incentivize value creation?
POSTED BY Jed Cahill AT 8:03 A.M. Apr 23, 2012
TAGS: Innovation | Jed Cahill | ProcessHow To Find Great Ideas and Get Them Funded
Great innovation is not just about great ideas. To get new ideas off the ground, you need executive buy-in and funding. You can increase the likelihood of success by building the executive buy-in for the innovation process, and by knowing what the CEO and other stakeholders are seeking in order to approve and fund your ideas. Here's how you can find great new ideas and establish rigor in the process that will win support and funding.
POSTED BY Kate Shore AT 8:17 A.M. Mar 19, 2012
TAGS: Ideation | Innovation | Kate Shore | ProcessHow Can Innovation Improve Customer Service?
Serco, a FTSE-100 outsourcing company based in the UK, operates contact centers for a large, FTSE 100 broadband provider, who was seeking to raise the level of performance for customer service. ipCG's innovation process was used to discover and prioritize 300 innovation ideas toward this objective. Just three months after the process began, Serco's performance on handling customer complaints moved to the top of the client's supplier performance table.
POSTED BY Kate Shore AT 8:10 A.M. Feb 21, 2012TAGS: Case Study | Ideation | Innovation | Kate Shore | Telecom
Overcoming Barriers to Innovation and IP Creation - PART 3: DEFINING YOUR PROCESS
Strategy is only as valuable as your ability to execute - an imperfect strategy that is well executed will generate much higher returns than a glossy white paper strategy that is poorly executed. So, how can you help your organization turn innovation and IP strategy into business value? This third article in a series of five on this subject explores ideas for overcoming the barrier of having no defined process.
POSTED BY Jed Cahill AT 9:15 A.M. Feb 9, 2012 TAGS: Innovation | Jed Cahill | Process | Training and Incentives
Overcoming Barriers to Innovation and IP Creation - PART 2: DEFINING & MEASURING SUCCESS
Establishing a clear direction for innovation and IP creation starts with consensus on an overall corporate strategy that defines the vision, specific business goals, and tactical actions that serve the vision and goals. Unfortunately, Executive and Board level consensus on the strategy is not enough.
POSTED BY Jed Cahill AT 8:10 A.M. Jan 19, 2012 TAGS: Innovation | Jed Cahill | Process
New Year, New Strategy
No new typewriters will be produced in 2012. The last production line closed down just this past year. On the one hand, this shows quite poignantly why innovation is important, on the other hand, it shows that destructive innovation is not something that happens in a flash. So, how do you know if your product is a typewriter? Do you have a plan?
POSTED BY Ben Little AT 8:15 A.M. Jan 9, 2012TAGS: Disruption | Innovation | Strategy
Overcoming Barriers to Innovation and IP Creation - PART 1: ESTABLISHING DIRECTION
The innovation and IP leader who is able to overcome the barriers has an opportunity to advance the company's competitive position with better products and services, faster time to market, more efficient operations, stronger IP, and the resilience necessary to respond to rapidly changing market conditions and critical business problems.
POSTED BY Jed Cahill AT 10:00 A.M. Dec 13, 2011 TAGS: Innovation | Jed Cahill | Process
How to Encourage Joint Creation in Open Innovation without Losing IP Rights
In the September issue of Intellectual Property Magazine, Kate Shore discusses how to address IP issues before the relationship to help create a culture of co-invention and collaboration, how to rev up your innovation engine to generate many potential inventions, and ways to maximize the value of the inventions created for both parties.
POSTED BY Kate Shore AT 8:15 P.M. SEPTEMBER 8, 2011 TAGS: Innovation | Kate Shore | Outside Publication | Process | Open Innovation
Consumer Products
Innovation is the lifeblood of consumer products companies, as they strive to stay ahead of competitors, respond to evolving customer needs, and manage other market pressures. Products typically have short timelines for development, design, and marketing and high corporate expectations for sales. Getting products to the market is just the first step in a long process.
POSTED BY Kate Shore AT 7:00 P.M. JULY 21, 2009 TAGS: IAM | Innovation | Kate Shore | Strategy
Innovation Protection Through IP Strategy
In a recent article, "Is the recession suffocating American Innovation?," Deb Riechmann of the Associated Press describes some trends that may be negatively impacting the success of innovation in the US. There has been a decline in the new patent applications at the US Patent and Trademark Office because some companies...
POSTED BY Bruce Story AT 10:10 A.M. MAY 12, 2009 TAGS: Bruce Story | IAM | Innovation | Process | Strategy
Innovation and IP Strategy: Even More Important Now
In Vijay Govindarajan's blog, "Strategy and Innovation," his April 12th entry responds to a recent BusinessWeek article, "Is Innovation Too Costly in Hard Times?" From the article, IBM Chief Executive Samuel Palmisano, states, "Some may be tempted to hunker down, to scale back their investment in innovation. While that might make sense during a cyclical downturn, it's a mistake when you're going through a major shift in the global economy."
POSTED BY Nancy Edwards Cronin AT 2:15 P.M. APRIL 27, 2009 TAGS: Innovation | Nancy Edwards Cronin | Strategy