10Innovation Trends

by 100 Innovators

Council Members of The Fifth ConferenceA Global Think Tank for Innovators

Feedback? Frank BoermeesterTwitter @fifthconference @fboermeesterwww.thefifthconference.com

We asked 100 innovators...

To identify the emerging

innovation trends...

That will have the most profound

impact on our world in

the coming 3-5 years...

This is what we learned...

1 Education New learning tools and methods, leading to new education models

Consider this...The University of the People offers tuition-free university education on a worldwide basis. It leverages open courseware, peer support, academic volunteers and cheap communication technology. It could change the lives of millions...

2 The Internet of ThingsLow-cost sensors, low-energy sensors, living sensors and the emergence of the Internet of Things

Consider this...The internet of things is a nice idea, but there are technical issues. For example, will the core infrastructure be open or be dominated by a handful of semi-monopolists? Companies such as WideTag are creating open source technology platforms for the IofT that could make the difference … P.S. Do you know what a Spime is?

3 Innovation in the developing world Reverse innovation and new financial models developed in emerging markets and their impact on the developed world

Toussaint L’Ouverture

Consider this...SKS Microfinance is scaling up the microfinance business, levering technology and factory style processes. It has disbursed over $4 billion...

4 Co-CreationDigitization, open innovation and the transformation of the industrial era enterprise as value-creating engine

Consider this...Open source software has come of age. How about open source biotech? Is the end of the classic corporate lab in sight? What will be the meaning of IP?

5 The Internet and the human conditionThe impact of the internet and its evolving interfaces on human intelligence, politics and privacy

René Descartes

Consider this...WikiLeaks exposes how unprepared we are in coping with (a potentially inevitable) total openness.

6 Entrepreneurial enlightenmentThe shift toward the creative economy and its implications on the nature of work, motivation and leadership

Frederick Winslow Taylor

Consider this...What does the Sandbox generation think about life in the corporate world? (go ahead, sandboxers, tell us…)

7 Health networksPatient networks, digital records, mobile health and the implications for healthcare

Consider this...Patient networks are revolutionising the patient-doctor relationship and creating new opportunities for medical research. Expect something different when you land up as a ‘patient’.

8 SustainabilityRenewable energy production, intelligent energy networks, efficient machines and devices, and cradle-to-cradle business models leading to sustainable socio-economic system

Consider this...Collaborative projects are exploring new business models and materials management systems that will revolutionise the linear industrial model. How about leasing chemicals? In fact, why not rent or lease everything?

9 Cloud computingThe cloud and its implications for IT architecture, the IT sector, enterprise IT and the enabling of new business models

Consider this...The CIO of one of Europe’s large systemic banks (his IT department alone employs over 1000 people) argues that we should stop calling it IT

10e-Government & open dataThe opening up of government datasets and its impact on the role of government

Consider this...The UK government is opening up its datasets to third-party developers. Could government redefine itself as a ‘platform’ for innovation (as opposed to a bureaucracy)?

What’s next?This is the start. The Fifth Conference is an innovation think tank and these 10 trends are our provisional agenda. They’ll serve as the basis for a series of interviews with the world’s most influential innovators. We’ll discuss the resulting insights among the Council—a global network of innovators that steers our work—both online at thefifthconference.com and live at our 3-day conference later in 2011. If you’d like to join us, let us know!

Feedback? Frank BoermeesterTwitter @fifthconference @fboermeesterfb(at)thefifthconference.comwww.thefifthconference.com

Learn more about the council?http://www.thefifthconference.com/topic/edito/global-innovation-think-tankhttp://www.thefifthconference.com/council

Keep informed about the interviews and discussion?www.thefifthconference.comTwitter @fifthconferencehttp://www.facebook.com/thefifthconference

Photo credits sxc.hu (typewriter andreweld, industrial dimitri c, hospital jascha400d, castle stevekrh19)