by David Quimby and Clyde Hanson | at MinneBar 10
Our region enjoys innovation ecosystems that are vibrant / robust – “and” they could be more productive. “Network Explorer” is a new tool for social network analysis that makes innovation networks visible and actionable. Exposing relevant contributors and their relationships enables strategies and tactics that broaden and deepen the innovation ecosystem to become more targeted and effective.
Collaboration across technical, functional, and organizational boundaries produces high-value innovation. Our technique identifies and supports interdisciplinary "boundary-spanners" who connect separate domains. 3M has determined that boundary-spanners develop some of their most strategically important technologies. IDEO indicates that inter-disciplinary collaboration is a fundamental principle of modern innovation.
Our proprietary, Web-based system accesses publicly available information and eliminates labor-intensive, time-consuming, and inaccurate survey methodologies. We can observe product categories, investigate historical trends, and compare an organization or region to its competitors.
We’ll demonstrate the system and visualize some innovation networks on the fly. We’ll also share some of the regional insights that we’ve obtained with “Network Explorer” as a research tool. We’re seeking discussion and additional perspective around application domains, use cases, network metrics, other fun stuff.
I am a principal at Innovation Radiation, where I practice systematic innovation, experimental design, and technology forecasting. I solved a contradiction early in the 21st century. I am a patented inventor in Web architecture. I collaborated with Doug Engelbart, the inventor of the graphical user interface (GUI), at Stanford Research Institute. I have assimilated into organizational life in realms such as Deloitte Consulting, Best Buy, and Bank of America; while I appreciate the benefits of organizational alignment, I've found that I flourish beyond the constraints of conventional organizational boundaries.
I am a co-founder of Minnesota Change Management Network. I earned a master’s degree in organizational behavior and socio-technical systems at UC / Berkeley and a bachelor’s degree in mathematical economics and developmental economics at UCLA. I've climbed Mt. Whitney; I've done trekking in Thailand, a photographic safari in Kenya, and sea kayaking in Alaska; I've traversed the U.S. and Canada by motorcycle. I've also expanded my cultural horizons with extensive travel in Europe, South America, and Australia.
Clyde Hanson is a marketing expert focused on intellectual property valuation and analytics. He hosts the weekly “Innovators & Entrepreneurs of MSP” meetup group sponsored by the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship at the University of St. Thomas.
