The entrepreneurial and creative forces that are steadily developing in key world regions promise exciting new opportunities. Innovation and creativity served as the central theme for the European Union during the past year. With initiatives spanning businesses, governments, and universities, Brussels organized events and developed networks devoted to exploring and implementing new approaches to nurturing innovation. Best practices emerged from across Europe including programs involving entrepreneurship, learning, art, digital entertainment, cross-cultural management, and green tech initiatives. Companies have actively sponsored new product development programs and competitions with engineering, business, and design schools to train the future innovators of Europe. There is a renaissance of the arts, design, and technology that’s inspiring new ideas and opportunities.

Across the Atlantic and back in the US of A, the entrepreneurial spirit and new business missions continue to propel the next generation of opportunities. Green tech and Web 2.0 technologies have served as a driving force for new start-ups and ventures. Silicon Valley serves as the meeting point for talent, ideas, and funding for local and foreign entrepreneurs. The buzz and energy is in the air, from eco networks to cloud computing to solar power. Incubators are growing quickly while universities and companies are exchanging talent and ideas. These networks are reaching across the oceans as universities and companies develop new product ideas and go to market efforts around the world.

Emerging markets are leading the way through innovative business models while establishing strong links in the global value chain. Despite lower market demand, the IMF has forecasted a 7% growth rate for emerging Asia (excluding Japan and Australia) in 2010, with China (9%) and India (6.4%) leading the way through investment and stronger domestic demand. The Middle East and African regions are receiving increased attention and investment from companies. One of the most inspiring initiatives discovered in 2009 is the Vital Voices Network which assists women entrepreneurs and business leaders in developing countries to realize initiatives that contribute to the local economy. A virtual network has been created in order to encourage exchange and assistance between women business professionals all over the world. Please see the Vital Voices article for more details. Yes, the world is innovating across the Web.

Global market opportunities are growing and it’s time to harness and transform these creative ideas into successful business results. This demonstrates the need to leverage cross-cultural capabilities in order to innovate from concept to launch. Stay tuned for more inspirations as I will continue to explore and share new ideas, practices and solutions during 2010.

The Vital Voices Global Partnership identifies, trains, and empowers emerging women leaders and social entrepreneurs around the world. They have assisted women entrepreneurs and business leaders in developing countries to realize initiatives that contribute to the local economy. The Vital Voices Global Leadership Network is comprised of 5,000 women from over 150 countries throughout the world. Thanks to live events and web technologies, this network has encouraged exchange and assistance between women business professionals across cultures. The Corporate Ambassador Program (CAP) is part of a new initiative designed to develop women’s entrepreneurship overseas by connecting high-level female executives from the US with emerging businesswomen leaders from other countries. The CAP empowers women in the MENA region with the management, business development, marketing and communication skills necessary to grow their enterprises, provide for their families, and create jobs within their communities.

The five day tour included visits to the AME headquarters, local businesses, a cooperative for artisans, and a conference with local business and government leaders. AME offered a study tour of Algiers so the Corporate Ambassadors can learn more about the business climate and meet with various innovative business leaders outside of the event setting. The theme of the conference was “The Competitiveness of SMEs in a Changing World Market,” with the goal of increasing growth, profit and competitive advantage of Algerian SMEs through innovative strategies and effective implementation in the global market. The warmth, generosity, and accomplishments of the local women business leaders were impressive. They face challenges and issues that women in the West no longer have to confront. The exchange and the relationships developed created an insightful and rewarding experience for all of the participants involved. Prior to our departure, we received the best news of all – the local women entrepreneur’s organization AME had received official recognition and approval by the Algerian government.

Vital Voices is actively developing a global virtual network to help women business leaders in the Middle East Africa region as well as other countries around the world. For more details on Vital Voices and this mission, please visit the following link: http://vitalvoices.org/middle-east-and-north-africa/algeria-corporate-ambassadors-program

In order to take the pulse of the future, I spent some time with thought leaders in the areas of innovation, design, and social media. There are several initiatives in developing community and knowledge-sharing around innovation in order to help diffusion among professionals and organizations. Josh Abend at Innovation City has taken a leading role in developing systems and tools for knowledge, governance, and measurement. Innovation City’s approach includes the architectural and knowledge management elements of innovation. Taking up the cause for ‘helping organizations convert vision into value’, the Silicon Valley Institute for Innovation offers many opportunities for professionals and organizations to obtain knowledge, share ideas, and promote dialogue around innovation. Executive director Sue Lebeck notes the importance of ‘creating engaging conversations’ through thought leadership and education.

The network thus inspires new product and service ideas that can be designed into new market opportunities. This has placed increasing emphasis on the value of the design process. Leading design firms IDEO and Frog Design have successfully developed new ways of creating and thinking for companies across industries. In visiting these firms, it is exciting to see how they’ve managed to develop new products and services through their unique philosophies. IDEO has developed a brainstorming process that is eagerly studied and followed by professionals and companies. Both IDEO and Frog Design have developed their own methodologies for the creative process which centers around a shared vision, team collaboration, and knowledge-sharing.

As professionals create new ideas, it becomes important to optimize communication and exchange across functions and cultures. Social media has received great interest from companies in promoting more knowledge exchange. New technologies and information proliferate inside and outside the organization. However, there seems to be a focus on quantity rather than quality. Companies are still exploring ways of effectively managing social media technologies to communicate with employees and customers. Axel Schultze, CEO of Xeequa, notes that ‘companies need to focus on social media as a strategy in order to attract and engage participants’. There’s a growing awareness of the role of social media in shaping market opportunities and results.

The tour of the San Francisco Bay Area included numerous interviews with senior managers responsible for leading and managing new products from concept to market. Many conversations took place around the challenge of creating and implementing new ideas among global teams. How can companies develop effective processes for managing knowledge exchange and transfer across cultures? Stay tuned, more insights from these interviews and ongoing research will be shared in 2010.

Sitting through a debate session at the European Commission’s conference on creativity and innovation, I wondered how this very conservative and structured assembly room would harness creative ideas. Glancing at the serious faces surrounding me, I wondered if I had arrived at the right event. One of the panel speakers must have read my mind as he addressed the question on bringing creativity into our workshop sessions: “Let’s tell a story, paint a picture, or sing a song when we report our results at the end of the day”. The facilitator, a European Commission Director, dropped his jaw and with a bewildered expression he looked at the audience and said “ohhhhkay, we promised you an entertaining day”.

And so the music started. Participants eagerly shared their stories. Images were created on screens and note pads to visualize ideas. Interpreters were sitting in their booths trying to translate the creative buzz into German, French, Spanish, Italian, and English. Representatives from business, government, and non-profit were discussing and exchanging experiences. The audience seemed to respond to their call to action and the rest of the day was alive with energy and creativity as participants presented and shared innovation projects on local and regional levels during the workshops. Focused on Best Practices from European Union programs, the workshops presented projects involving entrepreneurship, learning, art, digital entertainment, cultural awareness and expression, and green initiatives.

As I looked around the room, I wondered if I had been transported back to Apple or Google land in Silicon Valley rather than the European Commission in Brussels. We actually talked about creativity and innovation at the European Commission. Wow. And it also happens to be the Year of Creativity and Innovation in Europe. Outstanding. It’s a topic that’s being taken seriously as European businesses and governments are renewing and strengthening their innovation mission across the region. And it’s just the kind of stimulus needed for a challenging economy.

At the end of the day, attendees turned back to business as it was time to move from ideas to the project planning stage. In reviewing best practices and lessons learned, each workshop brought in their key recommendations. The workshop that I attended on creative partnerships even featured a team singer who delivered a closing tune. Before you start humming that tune, take note of the top recommendations from the European Commission and representative Jan Figel in launching successful innovation projects across cultures:

• Imagination is more important than information and knowledge.
• Explore partnerships between government, business, and universities.
• Develop innovation capabilities within private and public organizations.
• Focus on sharing and collaboration.
• Learn from failures and successes.
• Improve accountability and dissemination of projects.
• Increase collaboration across cultures.
• Success = hardworking, team working, and networking.

As my train left Brussels for Paris, I thought about the energy and inspiration generated from this event. Innovation and creativity sessions can help facilitate problem-solving, planning, and team collaboration from project initiation to implementation. How is your organization and team developing innovation capabilities within the international project management process? Consider building additional time for team discussion and brainstorming meetings that facilitate new solutions to project barriers. Story-telling, singing, or painting are optional. We’ll take a closer look at global teamwork with the next blog entry.

The seminar launched directly into the study which evaluated the understanding of Germans, Italians, and French of their own cultural heritage and that of other countries. In an effort to understand mutual knowledge between cultures, the study examined cultural stereotypes, references, and practices. Well, there may be no surprise that old stereotypes still ring true. The French and European audience that attended this seminar broke out in laughter when we learned the following: Germans are considered hard-working, reliable, disciplined, and organized (and somewhat demanding); Italians are considered friendly, cheerful, loud, and optimistic (and somewhat attached to their culture); the French were considered cultured, pretentious, attached to their culture, and demanding (and somewhat cheerful). Oh la la.

The conclusion of the study showed that German culture still remains poorly understood, including in Germany. Yet the Germans have a better understanding of their neighbors compared to their own culture – they were also the population that travelled the most outside of their own country. The French and Italians demonstrated mutual knowledge in certain cultural aspects, including a touch of cultural chauvinism. The study also found the intensity of cultural, artistic, tourist, and business exchanges between these countries and others could have an effect on national differences. In addition, the study did not include American references which, as one speaker noted, ‘we must (painfully) recognize that US media and pop culture have a great influence on European lifestyle and culture, especially on the younger generation’.

In reflecting upon the study and the future of cross-cultural understanding in Europe, the panel speakers emphasized the importance of not only understanding one’s own culture but also increasing knowledge and understanding of other cultures. In addition to formal education, it will increasingly require informal learning through interactions and networks created with family, friends, and colleagues. Another speaker noted the importance of recognizing the legitimacy of culture, infrastructure of cross-cultural education, and historical heritage. The panel agreed that new media and the internet provide new opportunities for improving cross-cultural learning across borders. This was further demonstrated by the number of European initiatives devoted to intercultural education through cultural centers, educational institutions, and knowledge networks.

Sitting in the audience and listening to the session was truly a multilingual experience as we were given audio phones that translated the presentations from French, German, and Italian. I made it through the French and German presentations sans audio, but finally had to plug into the Italian channel as I have not yet learned una lingua molto bella. All of the speakers were multilingual and did not use English throughout the presentation. It was very interesting to observe how the dialogue between the panel speakers and their presentation styles were influenced by their cultures. The British/French speaker presented a thorough analysis of the topic… mais ça depend, the German speaker provided a more factual account… das ist alles, and the Italian speaker offered the audience a very poetic view of cultural diversity… una historia importante.

As the dialogue progressed amongst them, it was amusing to observe the cross-cultural communication issues that often occur among multi-cultural teams – the French and British speakers needed more time to review, critique, and explore the issue whereas the German speaker gave a direct and concise answer, followed by a reflective and colorful interpretation from the Italian speaker. It was an interesting and enjoyable experience in intercultural dialogue. And it was refreshing to see that cross-cultural understanding and knowledge is more important than ever.

In setting the ICT agenda for the next decade, the conference organized three ambitious days devoted to inventing the future, innovation and creativity, and the work plan for 2009-10. Inventing the Future focused on emerging technologies while Innovation and Creativity explored emerging services, processes, and lifestyles. In looking to the future, ICT research projects were a priority in the areas of emerging technologies (Web 2.0), business practices, and lifestyle trends. Several panel discussions addressed the future of the Internet and the importance of delivering an infrastructure that would meet business and scientific needs. Given the diverse countries of the European Union, there would be a need to optimize the network and knowledge across the region. As noted by one participant “we need to focus and clarify the European vision in order to articulate this vision outside of the research community.”

Several of the panel speakers seemed to be in agreement about the urgency of their agenda as being ‘revolutionary vs. evolutionary’. Reminiscent of Apple’s theme song, it was noted that Europe should incorporate innovation as part of its DNA. In moving forward, recommendations included a focus on education, optimizing the network, use of new business models, and new entrepreneurship through interaction and collaboration. The innovation and creativity sessions echoed this sentiment through examples of organizational practices and processes involving collaborative environments, ‘cultures of participation’, and creative learning.

The conference ended with a day of planning sessions to encourage research and work initiatives in the recommended fields. There was a lot of buzz and excitement in and around the sessions and the exhibit floor. Start-ups demonstrated new technologies and solutions and cross-regional agencies sought strategic cooperation with European firms. The Lyon Conference Center invited attendees to a sumptuous buffet in true French tradition complete with various wines and desserts. This boosted the social and networking factor as many attendees walked around and greeted each other while indulging in the buffet. There were Swedes, French, Germans, Belgians, and many other European professionals who spoke about the role of emerging technologies and practices in their organizations.

In discussing the ICT Conference with many attendees, there was a definite purpose and readiness to make ideas happen. It will now be up to the European Commission, participating organizations, business and academic leaders to harness the creative energy and leverage a diverse talent base across Europe. Sounds like a global launch in the making. Carpe diem.

Organized by the European Commission, the French Presidency of the European Union, and the city of Lyon, the conference introduced a fully integrated agenda for three intensive days. Some of the key topics included accelerating innovation, optimizing knowledge transfer in Europe, strengthening industry’s innovation capacity, and strengthening support for innovative entrepreneurs. In achieving these objectives, the conference introduced presentations and panel discussions to explore how global ventures can be strengthened through lead markets, the internationalization of SME’s through knowledge transfers, and cooperation between specialized clusters. One of the most intriguing sessions included a focus on emerging sectors such as life sciences, creative industries, and eco-innovation. In sharing some of these creative inspirations, two successful projects from the creative industries follow.

Amsterdam has launched creative work spaces in virtual and live environments. Creative Amsterdam is a web portal that promotes the Amsterdam metropolitan area in the Netherlands and provides services for creative industries. These industries include the arts and cultural heritage, media and entertainment, and creative business services. They benefit from networking, financing, coaching, and international marketing services. Intended as places to live, work, and create, Art Cities have been developed from vacant office buildings that have been renovated to reflect their artistic and creative residents such as IDTV and MTV. In addition, international visits are organized to create visibility, exchange, and collaborative opportunities between countries. These hot locations are attracting more creative talent, strengthening socio-economic development for the region, and increasing collaboration with business.

R2ITH is an informal industrial network supported by the French government with the objective to enable collaboration among companies related to the textile industry. Twenty collaborative projects have been created devoted to innovation and design. In order to encourage innovative thinking, ten collaborative partnerships have been formed between designers and industrialists. Unique product inventions and solutions have been created through non-traditional partnerships between designers, architects, artists, stylists, and companies. Examples include a new Prada collection for polar fleece jackets, a knitting pullover technology used for furniture accessories, a fashionable medical belt adapted to women’s needs, and a protective screen for gardens.

The Europe Innova projects demonstrated some impressive examples of cross-functional and cross-cultural collaboration that lead to urban and economic development. The use of different design perspectives and applications often resulted in new target markets and new market opportunities. In launching these local and regional projects, Europe Innova partners have created new and innovative business models.

How would you translate the innovation culture in the SF Bay Area to a group of international engineering students? When invited to organize a road trip to study the SF Bay Area’s role in innovation and technology, I immediately googled the Silicon Valley map. The consulting assignment involved taking a group of French students and professors on a 10 day Innovation Tour in the SF Bay Area in mid-September 2008. Since the Bay Area has long been considered a great source for entrepreneurship and innovation, I was excited about the prospect of showing off the best and brightest minds that could inspire.

After weeks of planning, making phone calls, and sending emails, I boarded the plane from Paris with 24 twenty-something engineering students who were ready for a learning adventure that would kick-off their masters program and academic year. Sponsored by the ENPC Department of Industrial Design and Innovation, a Grande Ecole and leading university in France, the trip’s mission and theme focused on business innovation and technological innovation in a global economy.

The tour took off with the fast pace and packed schedule typical to Bay Area work life – the French troupe held on tightly for the ride while taking in as many impressions, information, and inspiration their minds could possibly absorb. There was a two-day immersion in innovation where entrepreneurs and corporate leaders shared their advice on designing and managing new products, processes, and services. Then we took a road trip from San Francisco to Silicon Valley to Berkeley where we visited participating companies on site in order to better understand organizational challenges and opportunities in managing innovation.

What were some of the takeaways? In the words of one student, “the California life, work style and ways of thinking brought us new inspirations”. From Apple’s view of innovation as ‘purpose and being’ to People-on-the-Go’s unique work productivity practices, the student’s were exposed to the cultures and work styles that create great solutions. From education to application, we had the opportunity to view Stanford Design School’s learning approach in design thinking to visiting leading design firms IDEO and Frog Design. Collaboration and creativity were key elements to both firms work cultures, where IDEO had developed their own unique design cycle and brainstorming process.

Sun and Symantec showed us how to foster internal innovation through knowledge networks and R&D teams. While the Plug & Play Tech Center and Orange Labs showed us how to incubate and hatch entrepreneurs and innovative products. The Plug & Play Tech Center has built an innovative support environment and resource network for start-ups that bring unique ideas, effective teams, and efficient execution. Finally, Orange Labs shared its innovation philosophy which included a focus on eco-systems, working at the edge, observation and experimentation.

In serving as a participant and observer on this 10 Day Tour, I was impressed by the creativity, energy, and entrepreneurial spirit on display. It is a vivid reminder that the Bay Area continues to be a source of inspiration despite the tough economy. And that’s exactly the kind of energy that we need in accelerating business growth for the coming year.