Seventh International Conference of APTE 2008 ... A techno-innovation-emotional management

Last 5, Nov. 6 was held at the Park Tecnolóxico of Galicia (Tecnopole) the seventh International conference of APTE (Association of Science and Technology Parks of Spain) with the slogan: INNOVATE FROM THE TALENT and that was precisely what most had in those rooms.

The list of speakers was most elite in the world for innovation:

* Genís Roca, a guru of Web 2.0 we introduced the utility of this current in the online world of business.

'What is Web 2.0 in business?

* Eric Michel-Dufeil, responsible for regional development in the Directorate General for Regional Policy of the European Commission and speaking of

'The R & D in the Spanish Programming ERDF 2007-2013'

* Tapan Munroe, an expert in regional economy, impact studies and analysis of financial and economic sector of high technology who presented his book: "Silicon Valley. Ecology of Innovation" supported by Mark WestMind.

* Lestón Daniel Fernandez, who works at IBM where he has placed special focus on the study of emerging technologies and their impact on the world of business. In this area working with the community, within IBM, explores the potential of online virtual environments like Second Life and who presented the paper

'And tomorrow, what? The 3D Internet and on-line life '

* Jose Ramon Garcia, president and executive director of Blusens Global Corporation and gave a spectacular view of how a start-up can have an overwhelming success as is the case with Blusens:

'Blusens: paradigm of entrepreneurship, internationalization and technological innovation'

* Then we had the luck with Chema for Dapena, is a local artist with an international showing to perfection the-art research and tandem opened the debate:

'¿Innovation in art or art of innovation? "

* Mon Santiago Alvarez, a professor of the Department Managing People in Organizations IESE chair sat with an excellent presentation focused on

'The innovative talent management'

* And finally, Xoán and Xosé Cannas, Jose Luis Perez and Raul Mateo delight us with the prospect of innovation in the culinary arts

'The kitchen and cellar as the laboratories'

All the presentations were excellent but I want to highlight some aspects of some of them superb and it seemed to me that, thanks to the depth of the messages, I have been able to stop time for a moment and reflect:

Genís Roca, during his talk, we opened our eyes to the current state of the digital world and the future that awaits us and printed the flow like a tsunami which are mounted on the Digital Natives, this new generation of young people that has defined so well Marc Prensky and whose vision of reality is quite different from ours, what Prensky calls between digital immigrants and those who consider myself one more with all the positive and negative connotations that entails. Although there was nothing more shocking as his reference to the times in which we live: "Liquid Times", a term coined by Zygmunt Bauman and which accurately reflects the transit of a modern "solid" - stable, repetitive, a "liquid "- Fickle and flexible. I am reading the book right now and I have to say that the message you are conveying is hard but at the same time real and that explains the flow of intense volatility, lack of security and uncertainty in which we live. Highly recommended.

Tapan Munroe, made us reflect on the importance of the ecosystems of innovation (which desarrollaré in a future post) along the lines of the Silicon Valley and that really is not that far from what other regions are doing more or less successful. What I pointed out, as a visionary of what is coming, it's innovation that can give you a change of direction to the current crisis (hopefully someone will notice it).

Accompanied him, as the author of his book, Mark Westmind who might surprise everyone present impressed with his perspective of the road to take to disseminate and inculcate the spirit of entrepreneurship to young people.

Introduced a draft (GreenBiz) very ambitious but loaded with content and it seems that, as always, is to wreak havoc in the U.S. and creating environments enviable. Maybe it's the formula we need to change that uneasiness of the latest generations and avoid the apathy that are suffering.

Professor Santiago Alvarez de Mon gave us, all present, a real lesson in management or rather self-management. In my case, I opened my eyes to many aspects of talent management and are clear predictors of the implementation of successful strategies in the management of parks (and even of life itself, as no!). He cited Ortega Gasset (If you want to send to the other prevailing on yourself) and Einstein (Imagination is more important than knowledge) among others and "set" (if I may say so) "chair", saying that " There is no intuition if there is no work and effort "... rather small element in our days.

The emotional part came from the hand of Chema Dapena with his art that printed color green room as well as the taste joined by brothers Cannas introducing his mastery in the kitchen and in the manufacture of wine.

Ultimately, the conference would define as INNO-TECHNO-EMOTIONAL ( "stealing"-but with the honey-term Pau Arenós , a friend who created it to the kitchen to catalog created by great masters) since it was able to combine technology, innovation and art to end an emotionally charged sprinkled nitrogen and give a final touch icing.

With all these ingredients, the organizers have ensured that these two very intense days-have-been recorded, the style of Chema Dapena, in our minds and in our hearts.


From here I want to thank the entire organization (especially Sandra, Bea F, Cristina, Bea T, Elisabeth, and Noemi Noemia for the patience they had with me) for the superb job they did, for his efforts and for the warmth and kindness to which had to bear all present.

STP 3.0: STP a la carte?

On many occasions we endeavor to encourage innovation in young entrepreneurs ... Yet if we look carefully we see that we really do not innovate, the parks continue to operate as traditional structures, with organizational charts and obsolete operational and is little more we offer a package of services has required that anyone really ... perhaps suffer from the same "disease" of many entrepreneurs, "who does not eat day to day and there is no time to reflect."

Making clean slate, I wonder:

- How would a STP where services are designed directly by the client?

- How would a STP where the mechanisms for generating value added were designed by the community ... of entrepreneurs and businessmen? Something like a "crowsourcing" of innovation.

- How would a business model of a STP where the cost of the service provided the customer defines it? that is, is the customer who appreciates what you are offering (a priori or a posteriori) ... ¿There really a possible business model?

That is to say something like a Wiki-STP or a Wiki-preneur in which the definition of protocols, standards, strategies are designed on the basis of feedback from the community. It would be something like a company of Open Source: defining a strategy at least, a basic product and the community is and who is trying to improve its "flavor" and helping the company to refocus its business model.

What benefit would get a k-node to node or knowledge to make their vision of the STP, which was shared? Perhaps the side effect that would result in the socio-economic environment in the region where they launch? (always considering the environment as a crucial element of the University tandem university-enterprise ... that ultimately would be the main engine of technological transfer to and from the company promoting the enrichment of both)



In principle it would have to break some molds, such as the fact untie the estate with the STP. The mere fact of being located in a park scientific-technological and of itself should be a mark of quality assurance and focus more than their intrinsic value to provide a package of services from "low resolution" should be a visa to enter a environment in which talent management, networking, technology transfer, knowledge management and coopetitive collaboration are those that increase the active-enterprising company decides to imbue in this info-structure.

Could be a STP 3.0 a "Funky Business" in the current structure??

Tandem University-Enterprise (II)

Returning to talk about the duo "University-Enterprise." Stiring among my papers found a couple of notes I took at a seminar organized by the Chair of the UJI INCREA few months ago, specifically on June 12, on MOBILITY OF PROFESSIONAL BETWEEN THE COMPANY AND THE UNIVERSITY where people panellists came as relevant business world as Escrigas Daniel (Director of Corporate Responsibility of UBE Corporation Europe), Jose Luis Lopez Silanes (President of HLC), Juan Mulet (Director General of the Foundation for Technological Innovation (COTEC)), Javier Delgado Garcia as a representative of the UPM and accountable practices in business and Miguel Valcarcel, professor at the University of Cordoba and national prize for research in 2005.

A seminar was very interesting because it was important the gulf between these two entities (lack missed in the audience top representatives of the University as well as the group of businessmen from Castellon, given the importance of the subject that demanded a profound reflection of the current situation).

I will not recount the entire seminar (on the website of the Chair INCREASE sure that there are summaries of it) but I wanted to highlight some aspects that I drew attention, considering that I come with a business-and despite all that are already I am aware of the problem without seeing concrete actions to deal with it, I mean the Enterprise-University interaction in one direction.

Everyone is agreed that there is a need for greater cooperation between the University and Enterprise and are based on the famous phrase "The University is responsible for preparing our highly-skilled human capital to achieve business excellence" .. . and I wonder: do we really believe the business is this? ... And the University?

It is true that increasingly, establishing partnership agreements between the two entities: fellows, research contracts, however, it seems that there is still some disbelief as to the effectiveness of such collaborations. I heard that mechanisms have been launched to "force" such collaborations as tax incentives as the company does not invest in research if you do not get results ... Interestingly ¿no? Is it necessary to force such a relationship? How could develop "smoothly" as saying the Anglo-Saxons?

Jose Luis Lopez de Silanes (President of HLC) has launched two issues for discussion which I found very interesting:

- How can the universities to increase business confidence about the ability to generate knowledge applicable?
- What obstacles exist to incorporating professional management techniques to academic institutions?

It seems that this requires a change of mentality in both major parties. The goal is not only increase the prestige university, obtain additional sources of funding or participating in the training of students ... So what happens to "generate wealth in the environment or improve the socio-economic environment of our society?

Another noteworthy speech was that of Miguel Valcarcel, professor at the University of Cordoba and national prize for research in 2005 showed that a very detailed SWOT analysis of "reversible mobility" between companies and universities. Sometimes I am amazed how we endeavor to get closer to European models culturally when the distance is abysmal and that the first thing we have to be revised. It was mentioned the figure of the Associate Professor of the important role that can lead to academic training and the little that was materializing ... and that the final again would be in the same words that were heard repeatedly: mistrust to the University and ignorance of the potential university by the company.

I understand that there is a need to rethink where we want to go and focus more on improving the quality of collaboration that launched countless actions to increase collaborations without redesigning the model. The good news is that there is an opportunity to improve and that if there is interest and commitment we can still give you a 180

..

Tandem University-Enterprise (I)

Even in times of crisis is talk of the binomial University-Enterprise ... last Aug. 29 in El Pais published an article that read: "The government will encourage private investment in the campus' ... "barely 4% of the university funding comes from the company ... very enlightening huh?

The article is very interesting because it reflects what we all already know so simplistic "The company generally does not go to the University as an asset in which to invest," and now comes the thousand dollar question: why? or ... What is lacking at the University to make it an interesting target for private investors? What he needs to private investors to understand that the University is a source of invaluable knowledge and therefore requires investment to grow?

On the one hand, an incentive to companies through improved fiscal and otherwise, it seems, encourage in any way, the hiring of researchers. The two things I think are good measures that will facilitate the process but there is a background that seems that nobody wants to touch it, we all look sidelong: why marriage to the university-industry lacks chemistry? (Of course, I'm going to skip the added problem of the transfer of responsibilities to the communities that much more difficult this relationship and I am going to focus solely on the tandem that should be both).

And reading the article, which for many thoughts, I mention some interesting phrases:
- "It's always reticent who feared a university in the service of the company" ... always the same fear ... and the University really should be at the service of society ... and the company is a vehicle.

- "It would be a mistake to investigate just what the market requires" (words of the chairman of the rectors, Angel Gabilondo) ... Of course, we should raise it with nuance: "We have to investigate essentially what the market requires" ... But not only that, basic research is essential to develop the applied.

- "[...] It would be a mistake to put funding into the system if there is no reflection upon and a roadmap for achieving excellence. Just as clear objectives [...]" (Cristina Garmendia, Minister of Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation) . With this statement reinforces the need for mechanisms of control and project management that is capable of justifying each euro invested in a project looking for, yes, what is its direct profitability (for results of this specific project) or induced (by Results of other projects that have been based on what developed in the latter).

On the one hand it is clear that basic research can not disappear, however applied is vital for society therefore, as the article suggests, is also a good measure of the fact that it is the government who invest in basic research and companies who do so in private. That is, I believe that society-investing with their taxes in the training of skilled hands of the University-less see embodied the hopes that investment in improvements to our quality of life (in all fields of knowledge). The companies, in this sense, are perhaps waiting for something more demanding short-term results to justify their investments. and are capable of resolving their problems, achieve a high level of productivity and competitiveness ... This is also logical.

In this sense, is still a long way to go to get that on the one hand the university is an efficient manager of private and public investment and be able to justify, through indicators or efficient control panels, each euro cent invested on the part of both public institutions (including European funds) and from business organizations. The laxity that is manifested in the economic management of scientific projects makes businesses fear that their investments are not sufficiently exploited and no rule of profitability as a criteria (when I see the huge amount of money is being invested in projects from Europe and The same carelessness that it takes to make sure the result and its impact on society gives me a stomach ache)

Given that, as I say, that relationship is not entirely "cordial", I believe that the STP must be a very active and vital element in the process of rapprochement between the Company and the University. Due to the difference in language that is spoken in the university versus the company, in some cases, not unusual, it should be a "translator" to bring the two positions.

It seems clear need to find mechanisms to create an atmosphere of trust and loyalty between University and Enterprise, which promotes collaboration agreements where the University be strengthened in the image of motor knowledge of quality.

Perhaps, in this case, it seems that much help dispose of professionals working within the University to find points of connection between the two environments ...

Ubuntu ... "I am because we are"

Not long ago, just a few months, I decided to take a singular way: abandon 15 years of having worked with Windows (and all variants except the Vista ... and I do not regret) to move to an unknown world: the world ubuntu .

I admit that initially I had no idea of the true concept ubuntu. Knew or believed that know-ubuntu was a new distribution of Debian GNU / Linux, more directed to personal computers, but already is spreading among servers, and graphical environment which was doing divert attention to Windows users. After reading a bit more about the origins of software I find a company as an initiative of Canonical Ltd.. Founded and funded by the South African entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth (the company that sold Thawte to VeriSign, four years after build in the garage his home, for 575 million U.S. dollars (U.S. $)) and with funding of 10millones dollars (almost nothing to be distributed free). We are talking about the year 2004. Today it has become a true competitor to Windows, with updates very well planned and proving to be a reliable and stable platform.

Although my comments I am not going to develop some of the technical side I will only say that for about 5 months that "I left the dark side of the Force" I have not re-treading ground Windows .... and I do not have been necessary ...

Ubuntu ... but what is it really? What are the implications and how far they can go? I'm looking at Wikipedia and I find the following definition:

Ubuntu is a South African ethical rule or ideology focused on the loyalty of the people and the relationships between them. The word comes from the Zulu and Xhosa languages. Ubuntu is seen as a traditional African concept.

and I still read:


Mental attitude prevailing among the native Africans who live south of the sahara, stems from the popular saying "umuntu, nigumuntu, nagamuntu" which in Zulu means "a person is a person because of others."

And finally the definition supplied by the Archbishop Desmon Tutú:


"A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, supports the other, does not feel threatened when others are capable and are good at something, because they are unsure of himself and he knows that he belongs to a large whole, which is decreasing when other people are humiliated or little, when others are tortured or oppressed. "





This makes us go back to approaches commented earlier: The We versus Me, the strength of an entire face of individuality. Since, as I say, that landed in the ubuntu world I have seen the enormous strength of the community: any problem, and I say "everyone", which you can find at your operations with ubuntu you can resolve it without further in the community who support you and thank you it has been possible to get the product better, enrich ... improve service, get more followers and consolidate the conviction that we are stronger than me ... you may return to the concept of Dyna-K-Net? the Open-Source-Services?

How far can we go with this freedom of movement? How far it can reach "the community"?

The truth ... is that now I am enjoying as ever ... I hope that ubuntu is the exception to the argument of Eduardo Punset in his blog "The unhappiness is the price to pay for being free"

Dyna-K-Net or Generation of Knowledge Dynamics in the university environment

What is the Dyna-K-Net? How can their added value within a STP 3.0?

In reality the concept itself of Dynamic Knowledge Network and Knowledge Network Dynamic is also not new and has been applied to various environments related Knowledge Management well in the field of e-Learning applications or as support in the generation and storage knowledge.

One very interesting book that delves into a DKNS (Dynamic Knowledge Network System) as a tool designed to create corporate reports needed to preserve the experience and expertise of employees in an enterprise is the "Intelligent Learning Infrastructure for Knowledge Intensive Organizations of Miltiadis D . Lytras (2006).

From this approach, it is possible to find a point of extrapolation that I consider interesting and I wanted to share with my pillow. "

Imagine for a moment a very dynamic environment of people who are a source of knowledge in various stages of his life: start with a knowledge learned out of this environment and will subsequently expanded, refined based on knowledge transfer programs previously designed (with more or lesser success but that we are not going to discuss here).

Imagine for a moment an environment in which people each year fall by 30% for both new and with new visions of life.

We call these people or K-Knowledge Nodes nodes or nodes Knowledge (well, do not expect to feel very flattered by the term coined but we continue ...)

With such rotation of K-annually Nodes are allowed to have elements of "fresh" in the fresh and say they can PROVIDE different visions of any issues that were raised and therefore has to be perceived that the environment I am talking about is enriched years after year with generational changes.

I'm going to put a name to that environment: A UNIVERSITY, whatever is valid but my discussion will revolve around the closer I got that may have close to 16,000 K-Nodes formed by students, PDI (Teaching and Research) and PAS (Personnel Management and Services):




So let us now a network (never better said: neuronal) 16000 elements solving a problem ... the same problem (either individually or in the form of crowsourcing). So a voice suddenly, it seems that it would be hard not to find the solution.

Although at this time there to reflect on its usefulness ... What I could be available this "neural net"? What would happen if a company would launch a challenge to the Dyna-K-Net, the challenge to help find a solution to a problem that I had (at the technical level, management, ...) and to give more excitement over a period no more than 72 hours. (and why 72? and not 48? or 128? ... well precisely because it is setting a challenge and see how far the Dyna-K-Net is able to resolve an issue within a given time ... then everything is adjustable ).

How many business problems remain unsolved for lack of "workforce" or rather to "think-force"? Is it necessary to have knowledge of business management to resolve the issue? (I do not think so, we must not underestimate the contributions of others that have nothing to do with the problem, which does not prejudice the outcome, which are not "flawed" by the business environment ... these "outsiders" are the generators ideas of "cool" and often high value added)

Where are the limitations in this process? What are the impediments to developing such an activity?

and now comes the question: how to reason K-Nodes to contribute their bit?