October 2011

New Drivers of Innovation

The 2011 Innovation Summit convened under the timely theme of New Drivers of Innovation: The Changing Nature of Business Models, Workplaces and OrganisationsViviane Reding, vice-president of the European Commission, delivered a fascinating keynote address, introducing a major new proposal on a Common Sales Law aimed at unleashing the potential of the single market and spurring innovation. Ann Mettler, executive director, and Anthony D. Williams, weighed in with a new policy brief: The Rise of the Micro-Multinational: How Freelancers and Technology-Savvy Start-Ups are Driving Growth, Jobs and Innovation. In addition, Judith Merkies, MEP and rapporteur on the Innovation Union flagship initiative at the European Parliament; Matthew C. Robinson, global trends director at Accenture; Tim Sefton, business development director at Telefónica; and Małgorzata Steiner, lead policy specialist at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland, joined high-level panels on innovation priorities in the coming months. Andrew Wyckoff, director of the directorate for science, technology and industry at the OECD, presented the latest OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard and discussed emerging global trends in knowledge and innovation.