We can’t ignore the fact that Open Innovation has become a critical component within the innovation framework of top companies. The challenge you now face is fueling your innovation engine in this less-than-optimal climate!

Join Cheryl Perkins as she teams up once again with Management Roundtable and PDMA for the upcoming 11th annual CoDev2012: Achieving Higher OI Returns while Managing Risk, Cost and Uncertainty.

This premiere open innovation forum takes place February 13 – 15, 2012 in La Jolla, Calif. For a limited time, we are offering a special flexible team discount so that you can bring your internal teams and partners to the table.

Call 1.800.338.2223, or reserve your place online!

This year’s program will include even more inspiring keynote presentations, how-to case studies, facilitated Q&A and group learning sessions as well as multiple venues to network and assemble your own open innovation network for future learning and collaboration.

Check out these open innovation ambassadors presenting at CoDev2012.

In addition, we’ll be offering 4 brand new half-day workshops on the topics of Evolving New OI Business Models, Innovation Talent Management, Open Innovation Metrics and Implementing Complex Deal Structures for OI Success.

Don’t forget you’ll also network with several hundred top leaders of open innovation, continuous improvement, R&D and product development from a cross section of industries including aerospace, medical devices, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, biotech, oil & gas, electronics, hi-tech, defense and more.

If you are looking for the most up-to-date practitioner based content on open innovation, CoDev2012 promises to once again deliver on all fronts. I am looking forward to meeting you personally as we discuss current and future trends in open innovation and how you can capitalize on them to gain more value from your open innovation investments.

Join Cheryl Perkins and Pat Clusman in China for the Innovation Best Practices For Consumer Industry. The event will take place March 1-2, 2012 at the CII Innovation Center, Shanghai.

China Institute for Innovation is a consulting and academic organization established specifically to help Chinese companies, multinational organizations and government
agencies to meet the needs for world-class expertise in innovation.
CII is a leading innovation education, training, research, and networking institute in China. CII offers a wide variety of programs to help people at all levels and in all roles to understand and master the principles and practices of innovation, to help their organizations succeed in the innovation- driven economy.

Click on this image for more information:

Join InnovationEdge in China for the Making Innovation Work: Success from Within and Outside.  The event will take place February 27 and 28, 2012 at the CII Innovation Center, Shanghai.

Cheryl Perkins and Pat Clusman lead participants through wiring together your business, marketing and innovation strategies,  by identifying and applying the key focal areas of Innovation, from business strategy to customer experience.

China Institute for Innovation is a consulting and academic organization established specifically to help Chinese companies, multinational organizations and government
agencies to meet the needs for world-class expertise in innovation.
CII is a leading innovation education, training, research, and networking institute in China. CII offers a wide variety of programs to help people at all levels and in all roles to understand and master the principles and practices of innovation, to help their organizations succeed in the innovation- driven economy.

Click on this image for more information:

That’s why I’m inviting you to join me, as I team up once again with Management Roundtable and PDMA for the upcoming 11th annual CoDev2012: Achieving Higher OI Returns while Managing Risk, Cost and Uncertainty.

This premiere open innovation forum takes place February 13 – 15, 2012 in La Jolla, Calif.  For a limited time, we are offering a special flexible team discount so that you can bring your internal teams and partners to the table.

Register by November 18th and save $300! Call 1.800.338.2223, or reserve your place online!

This year’s program will include even more inspiring keynote presentations, how-to case studies, facilitated Q&A and group learning sessions as well as multiple venues to network and assemble your own open innovation network for future learning and collaboration.

Check out these  open innovation ambassadors presenting at CoDev2012.

In addition, we’ll be offering 4 brand new half-day workshops on the topics of Evolving New OI Business Models, Innovation Talent Management, Open Innovation Metrics and Implementing Complex Deal Structures for OI Success.

Don’t forget you’ll also network with several hundred top leaders of open innovation, continuous improvement, R&D and product development from a cross section of industries including aerospace, medical devices, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, biotech, oil & gas, electronics, hi-tech, defense and more.

If you are looking for the most up-to-date practitioner based content on open innovation, CoDev2012 promises to once again deliver on all fronts.  I am looking forward to meeting you personally as we discuss current and future trends in open innovation and how you can capitalize on them to gain more value from your open innovation investments.

See you in La Jolla,

Cheryl

It’s called the Food & Beverage 2011: Sustainable Innovation Summit, and it’s happening in Chicago August 9 and 10. This invitation-only event will bring together the top 100 innovation leaders from a multi-national audience of Chief’s, VP’s, Directors, Heads, Senior Directors and Managers of Innovation, R&D, Product Development, Open Innovation, Customer Management, and Manufacturing. My company, Innovationege, is proud to team up once again with the outstanding leaders at the Management Roundtable for this exclusive event.

We’re going to talk about everything from our changing regulatory landscape to the search for new market channels. We’re going to hear from leaders about those amazing innovation journeys, like how H.J. Heinz developed an interesting approach to honing their capability to deliver growth by identifying, developing and acquiring a continuum of incremental and disruptive technologies! Or how the J.M. Smucker Company quadrupled in size via a strategy of growth through acquisitions, and the choices they needed to make as a result.

And we’re going to challenge current thinking and approaches, set the stage for new trends in sustainable innovation and create a senior level networking community for ongoing support and dialogue. There are 100 spots open, and if you’d like to be a part just let me know. You’ll find all of the information about our keynotes, candid case studies, facilitated Q&A, networking sessions and a post-conference workshops on our Sustainable Innovation Summit site, where you can register and check out the facilities at Chicago’s Allerton Hotel.

I’ll see you in Chicago!

Local Motor’s rapidly growing community (12,000 participants so far) contributes designs and feedback to help in the selection of potentially successful aesthetic concepts for automobiles that Local Motors will then build locally in a microfactory, with final customization of the appearance being achieved with an environmentally friendly and durable vinyl wrap that eliminates the need for paint and gives the owner freedom to have a unique look. The final assembly is done with hands-on help from the new owner, who becomes intimately familiar with the vehicle and with its maintenance.

After Jay spoke, that evening I drove down to Chandler, Arizona and attended an open house at Local Motors hosted by Jay himself. He allowed photography, so below you can see some views of Jay speaking and some shots of his vehicles in various stages of construction. The Rally Fighter, for example, is an incredible rugged, safe, and fun car that is legal on the road but a load of fun off road as well. It’s able to do very nice jumps.

These cars weigh much less than other cars their size, offering a huge bonus in mileage. Great engineering and innovation at many levels makes this possible.

The microfactory concept involves assembly of a small number of vehicles at a time in sustainable, efficient processes. Very cool.

John Rogers, CEO of Local Motors

Jay discusses the rugged chassis of an embryonic Rally Fighter

Legal on the street, but built for off-road excitement, too.

Jeff Lindsay and a Rally Figher at Local Motors

The TENTH annual conference on Co-Development and Open Innovation: Accessing Networks & Knowledge to Create Business Value will take place in Scottsdale, Arizona from January 24-26, 2011 at the brand new Talking Stick Resort.

You can expect to hear from and network with top open innovation thought leaders and advanced practitioners across multiple industries on questions that are challenging early open innovation adopters.

Join conference chair and Innovationedge president Cheryl Perkins and team at the event this year. Register

Cheryl Perkins, founder and president and Jeff Lindsay, director of solution development, will present at the Sustainable Plastics Packaging conference on December 8 at the Westin Atlanta Airport in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Sustainable Plastics Packaging conference, organized by Plastics News Global Group, is coming to North America for the first time this year. The conference, previously held in Europe, explores the environmental challenges facing users and producers of plastics packaging and identify innovative solutions that meet demanding sustainability and economic criteria.

Perkins and Lindsay will present at 3:45 p.m. on the first day of the conference. Their session, Sustainable plastics: Challenges in protecting innovation & design, will explore the key intellectual property trends for sustainable plastics and proactive steps companies can do to protect advances.

More

Time: Wednesday, November 10, 2010: 8:30 AM-11:00 AM
Location: Salt Palace Convention Center, Grand Ballroom G, Salt Lake City, UT
Chair: Jeff Lindsay, Director of Solution Development, Innovationedge, Neenah, WI
Co-Chair: Ken Horton, Gore School of Business, Westminster College, Salt Lake City, UT

Schedule of Papers and Abstracts:
8:30 AM, Paper #406A, “Business Development, IP, and Manufacturing Success: Perspectives From Utah’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership” by David Sorensen, Executive Director of Utah’s Manufacturing Extension Program. (See biographical information below.)

Abstract: The Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Utah has assisted many companies in strengthening their strategy for success and continued growth. We will discuss what it takes to advance your business, including lessons relative to leadership, vision, intellectual property, and coping with changing regulations and policies.

9:10 AM, Paper #406b, “The Role of IP in Successful Startups,” Mike Alder, Director of Technology Transfer, Brigham Young University.

Abstract: Many AIChE members will be involved with a startup at some point in their career. While the capabilities of the management team is of utmost importance, in numerous cases, the success of the startup also depends on the quality of its intellectual property. In this era, an IP-savvy team can take several steps to secure competitive advantage and realize greater value from the technology, products, or services the company offers. This presentation will draw upon experience with many startups and startup teams and will provide guidance to researchers, business leaders, and future entrepreneurs on how to better prepare for success.

9:45 AM, Paper #406c, “An Introduction to IP Law: The Underpinnings of Intellectual Assets,” Ken Horton, Kirton & McConkie, Salt Lake City, UT

Abstract: An understanding of the basics of intellectual property law can help chemical engineers in advancing their own research, in evaluating competitive efforts, in building their own business, or in general advancing their career. This presentation will cover some of the key concepts that engineers should know, including the nature of patents, the different kinds of patents (provisional, utility, design), the role of trademarks and copyrights, what it takes to be patentable, and how changes in patent law may affect your career and business.

10:20 AM, Paper #406d, “Cost-Effective Pursuit of IP in a Down Economy,” by Jonathan Lee

Abstract: How does one get the most protection and benefit from intellectual property when the economy is down? How can patents and other forms of intellectual property be obtained in a cost effective manner when budgets are tight? In this presentation, an experienced patent attorney shares insights into cost effective IP with guidance directed to managers, research leaders, inventors, and entrepreneurs.

Biographical information:

David Sorensen
Mr. Sorensen has over 35 years of experience in a wide variety of technical and managerial assignments requiring comprehensive knowledge in several disciplines relating to engineering, manufacturing, information technology and business systems. He has been directly responsible for major contracts with industry and government agencies and has a proven record of technical competence, customer relations, and business planning in rapidly expanding technical companies. Mr. Sorensen has held increasingly responsible positions in product and service organizations. He is innovative, resourceful, and aggressive in accomplishing assigned responsibilities with major strengths in strategic planning, marketing and management. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering Science and a Masters in Manufacturing Engineering Technology from Brigham Young University.

Since 1995 he’s been the Director of the Utah Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP-Utah), serving primarily the 6,200 manufacturers in the state of Utah. MEP-Utah was selected to initiate and manage the NIST Information Technology Network for over 60 MEP Centers nationwide. Mr. Sorensen is also a BYU adjunct faculty member and the Associate Dean of Technology, Trades and Industry at Utah Valley State College. With a staff of 18, in one year MEP-Utah helped create or save 2,719 jobs in Utah, increased manufacturing sales by more than $121 million and increased employee payroll by more than $84 million.

He’s been the Chairman & CEO for Echo Solutions, a start-up software products and services company; Executive VP of Eyring Research Institute; General Manager of EG&G Services; Director of Engineering at EG&G Idaho Inc.; Manager of Architect Engineering and Construction at Aerojet Nuclear Company and Manager of Power Generation Equipment at Bunker Ramo. He also has experience with GE’s Nuclear Instrumentation as a Senior Applications Engineer, and in engineering positions at Kennecott Copper, Intermountain Industries, and F.C. Torkelson Engineers.

Michael Alder
Mike is Director of Technology Transfer at Brigham Young University, where his work has been nationally recognized by BusinessWeek and others for their success. Mike is also Chair of the Board for WestCAMP Inc. where he has also chaired the National Centers of Excellence (NCOE), a division of WestCAMP. Mike is formerly the CEO of the Biotechnology Association of Alabama. He was also a Venture Partner with Redmont Venture Partners, Inc. He has been heavily involved in the founding of Tranzyme, Inc.; Vaxin, Inc.; Folia, Inc.; Chlorogen, Inc.; Allvivo, Inc. and Cr3, Inc. All but one of these are biotechnology companies (Folia produces specialty biopolymers).

Mr. Alder has 30 years of experience in leading technology-based startup companies. He was previously CEO of Emerging Technology Partners in Birmingham, Alabama from 1997 to 2003. Prior to coming to Alabama in 1994 he co-founded the Grow Utah Fund that focused on creating technology-based businesses. In 1989 he was asked by the Utah Governor to head the State’s Office of Technology Development, which he did for 5 years as its Executive Director, helping bring Utah’s Centers of Excellence programs to national prominence. In 1973 he founded NPI, a plant biotechnology company in Salt Lake City, Utah and served as President, COO and Vice Chairman of that company for 15 years as it grew to over 700 employees.

Ken Horton
Ken Horton is a member of Kirton & McConkie‘s Intellectual Property Practice Section in Salt Lake City. His practice includes domestic and foreign patent prosecution, patent opinions, intellectual property litigation (including both state and federal court actions), domestic and foreign trademark prosecution, trademark opinions, copyrights, trade secrets, intellectual property evaluations and due diligence, as well as technology and intellectual property agreements. Mr. Horton has extensive experience in both pharmaceutical and semiconductor technologies. He is a frequent speaker on the topic of intellectual property law and strategy, speaking both at the 2007 and 2010 A.I.C.H.E. annual conferences and the 2009 A.C.S. annual conference. Additionally, Mr. Horton is an Associate Professor in these topics in the MBA Technology Management Program at the Gore School of Business of Westminster College.

Jonathan Lee
Jonathan Lee is a registered patent attorney and a member of the Utah State Bar practicing at ALG (AdvantEdge Law Group). His practice focuses on adding real-world value to companies, both large and small, by acquiring, securing, and protecting intellectual property rights.

Mr. Lee has prepared and successfully prosecuted hundreds of patent applications throughout his career, primarily in the electrical, electro-mechanical, and computer engineering fields. He currently helps a number of Fortune 1000 companies manage and develop their domestic and worldwide patent portfolios. He also regularly counsels clients in other aspects of intellectual property law, including litigation, licensing, and opinion work, as well as due diligence examinations, copyrights and trademarks, and patent reexamination proceedings.

Prior to joining ALG, Mr. Lee worked for nationally recognized law firms in Washington, D.C. and Salt Lake City, Utah.

Mr. Lee was recently selected as a Mountain States Rising Star by Super Lawyers, a peer-reviewed publication.

Cheryl Perkins will present the following session at Georgia Institute of Technology’s FutureMedia Fest 2010 at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 5, 2010:

Collaborative Experiences Creating Business Value
Opening up organizations to outside ideas has led to commercial success for many organizations.  Innovation in the social and mobile media space has relied heavily on innovation outside the traditional walls of the company. FutureMedia related technologies for communication, collaboration and project management are making coordinating large projects across distributed, virtual teams much easier and giving rise to new business value opportunities and cross platform collaboration.

FutureMedia provides new opportunities to expand networks and forge new collaborative relationships. This session will discuss key concepts, aspects of open innovation, and FutureMedia related technologies that will impact your ecosystems and create a new innovation paradigms.

View the FutureMedia Fest live webcast

Cheryl is the featured keynote speaker for the 2010 Midwest Chapter Society of Cosmetic Chemists (MWSCC) Technical Symposium. The event’s theme is “INNOVATION: Seeking inspiration from new sources.”

MWSCC was founded in 1945 and has more than 4,000 members who work to focus and promote the exchange of ideas and new developments in cosmetic research and technology.

Cheryl will be moderating a “Birds of a Feather” session, which will explore open innovation, at “FutureMediaFest 2010″ in Atlanta, GA. The event is hosted by the Georgia Institute of Technology and provides an “interactive mash-up of talent, ideas, trends and technology.” Attendees will be able to speak with investors, interactive marketing experts, network and experiment with real-time open innovation.

For more information, visit http://www.futuremediaglobal.com

Yesterday our panel discussion focused on how to create an enriched organizational culture, so that companies can foster innovation outside of their traditional internal R&D departments.

We know the challenges of creating and honing that culture of open innovation, and we discussed how to forward-thinking business leaders can advance their technologies and develop new products or services with outside sources.

There were five of us from all over the world taking part in this panel titled, “Open Innovation – From Marginal to Mainstream.” My co-panelists included JP Rangaswami, Chief Scientist, BT Group, and Karim Lakhani, Assistant professor, Technology and Operations Management Unit, Harvard Business School.

The discussion was incredible and inspiring, and I enjoyed sharing my experiences in this space among other thought leaders on this dynamic panel!

Cheryl Perkins and other thought leaders will participate in the ‘International Thought Leaders” webinar on June 9, 2010 in conjunction with the Innovation Management Course, which will be held in Toronto on June 16 & 17, 2010.

Join Cheryl Perkins in Atlanta, GA from May 2-5 at PaperCon 2010.

REGISTER

Cheryl Perkins will provide a strategic workshop to Sheboygan Area SHRM human resources professionals at their half day workshop on April 15, 2010.

Cheryl Perkins and other thought leaders in innovation joined to discuss open innovation at NESTA‘s Open for Business Conference panel on April 8, 2010 in London, UK.

The entire morning session can be viewed here.

The International Home & Housewares Show is the world’s premier housewares marketplace, and it features more than 2,000 exhibitors and more than 20,000 buyers from over 100 countries around the world! It’s the one place you can go to see first-hand consumer lifestyle and product trends for all areas of the home, both inside and out, under one roof.

For my part I will be sharing best practices for taking innovation to the next step and discusses how to create a strategy, structure and culture to successfully drive innovation efforts. I am going to share insights on how to engage internal stakeholders, address innovation fatigue and overcome barriers to personal and corporate success, as discussed in our book Conquering Innovation Fatigue.

While I’m at the Inventors Corner I’m looking forward to meeting those inventors and seeing how are the most creative minds are solving the problems that consumers face each day.

From the pre-conference workshops designed to give you a quick immersion in skills and tools, to the roster of thought-leading keynote speakers and the wide range of case presentations, this event has it all. The biggest challenge for most attendees will be deciding where they’ll spend their time, and who will they try to connect with during networking times.

Now I really want to spend a moment with an open message to anyone still sitting on the fence about CoDev2010.  Success in business and life is usually about the decisions we make, and I want you to be fully informed before you decide to attend CoDev2010. If you decide not to attend, here are some of the some things you’re missing out on:

• Access to global leaders in open innovation for advice, education, and practical how-to’s on approaches, skills, organization structures, technology and more.
• Opportunities to get direct answers to your most challenging issues from some of the most experienced practitioners on the planet
• Great opportunities for networking, whether you’re a manufacturer or marketer looking for coaches to get you started, or consultants trying to reach your market.
• Opportunities for advancing your benchmarking efforts by connecting with peers who may be further down a similar path.
• A down-loadable executive summary as well as a complete reference binder of all the materials presented.

Are you convinced yet that this is an event you can’t afford to miss? What’s the ROI of something essential to the future vitality of your organization? If you’re still unsure whether CoDev2010 is a smart use of your time and money, here are a few more benefits attendees will receive:

• Learn about key strategies for implementing a corporate global open innovation initiative
• Discover how to recognize and foster the types of skills required to make your open innovation initiatives successful.
• Witness the steps taken at Whirlpool to transition from embedded innovation to open innovation.
• Find out how IBM enables a more rapid, aggressive innovation capability among its partners within its Global Innovation Outlook Program.
• See how others have reinvented their open innovation models in the face of changing business ecosystems and difficult-to-identify potential business partners
• Get an early look at Georgia Institute of Technology’s plans to foster an open innovation environment that invites ideas and experimentation while also engendering trust, lasting relationships and mutually rewarding results within its Future Media Initiative.
• Learn how you could structure a win/win collaborative partnership with universities, federal labs and research centers.
• Last, but this can’t be forgotten, learn how to measure the success of your open innovation efforts

I hope this has helped to whet your appetite for the kind of learning that can help power meaningful change through your organizations. The challenges to be adept at open innovation are many. But the rewards, especially in an economy that promises more dynamic change in the coming years, continue to beckon. I encourage you to make the commitment to be part of the force of change propelling your organization to the front of your industry.

The experience is right around the corner. See you all in Scottsdale!

Europe’s premier independent association of technology transfer and innovation support professionals.

Members include innovation and technology consultants, technology brokers, university and research center transfter offices, regional development agencies and chambers of commerce, science parks, government agencies, professional organization and innovation centers. All of the members work to provide high quality innovation support to ultimately develop the knowledge economy and boost the wealth creation process.

Go here for more information: http://www.tii.org