In an article about innovation Malcolm Gladwell claimed that ‘big ideas’ aren’t as rare as we think they are http://www.gladwell.com/2008/2008_05_12_a_air.html

One notion that comes through the article is that an environment in which big ideas happen can be deliberately created. ‘Insight could be orchestrated: that was the lesson.’ Gladwell provides the example of a company called Intellectual Ventures which was created to ‘make insights’ http://www.intellectualventures.com/

Gladwell argues that the romantic notion that a scientific genius can do what others can’t is wrong; instead a genius ‘is merely an efficient source of insight’. The idea is that a group of smart-enough people can come up with the ideas that a scientific genius is able to come up alone.

Innovation is important because it is generally agreed that it is a key to long-term growth. It creates comparative advantages that allow exports, stable development, profits, and jobs.

Creating an environment in which innovation can flourish can be as simple as providing a place for meetings between smart-enough people to occur and a whiteboard. Universities have an important role to play in encouraging innovation, as do private companies and governments. Perhaps Intellectual Ventures could be encouraged to open a branch in Australia? Perhaps we could set-up our own?