On Harvard Biz Review (@HarvardBiz), Michael Schrage observes that “the following 6 ideas emerged this past year as powerful ‘innovation invitations.’ They seem certain to intensify in global power and influence. They'll be sources of — and resources for — innovation differentiation this coming year.”
1. The Slacktivism Co-Opt: As much a term of derision as global sociological phenomenon, slacktivism has emerged as social media’s way of making support for a cause as easy as a re-tweet or clicking Facebook’s “like” button....
2. Counting on Self-Quantifiers for Growth: Mobile, digital, and networked devices have created a global sub-culture of self-quantifiers — that is, individuals who rigorously count every step they take, every calorie they eat, every minute they sleep, every email/text they send/receive, and every schedule change they make....
3. Gerontabletification: Mobile phones are too small; their screens too tiny and keyboards too minute. But tablets have emerged as ideal media platforms for those requiring larger fonts and bigger keys. The iPad has ceased to be a symbol of youth and vitality. It’s now how silver haired executives — and 75 year old grandmas — read the news, manage their email and play games with the kids....
4. Globalizing Grand Challenges: Over the past decade, America has been a leader in the design, development, and marketing of competitions and prizes for technical innovation. But it's time the so-called emerging economies stepped up....
5. Handheld Augmented Reality: Who, or what, will be the Foursquare of Augmented Visualization and Interaction?....What's next is the first wave of mobile devices becoming augmented reality viewers for their users. Expect to see QR code/augmented reality mashups as a 2012 investment to facilitate the virtual transition....
6. The Greenlash Arrives: Is there a Greenlash emerging that’s pushing populations worldwide to reconsider so-called fossil fuels as better, safer, and more reliable than their renewable counterparts? There's little doubt that they’re proving to be cheaper....The green promises of eco-tech are taking longer and costing more than many of its champions promised. As energy-dependent economies chug along with growth far lower than expected or desired, green options are looking rather gray....
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