Wednesday, January 24, 2007

BCG study suggests Germany behind in innovation?

Heise News reports of a study by Boston Consulting Group [BCG]:

Specifically, Germany turns out to be a pioneer in the automotive sector, environmental technology, and renewable energy technologies. In growing fields such as computer technology, home entertainment systems, microelectronics, "red biotechnology" (such as stem cell research), however, Germany is far behind.

As the BCG puts it in a press release on the study, "When it comes to memory systems, image processing and displays, communication platforms, or IT applications, most of the patents and patents pending are from the US or Asia." In these sectors, the BCG found Germany that Germany is a "follower" that further develops new technologies for specific applications. According to the BCG, such a strategy can only be beneficial if fast product and investment cycles can be managed.


IPBiz wonders if BCG is counting the Hwang and Schatten applications in its assessment of "red technology." Merely counting noses without making an in-depth assessment is, well, ....

***Separately, of BCG -->

The following is taken from a manuscript by LBE about the ideas of Jaffe and Lerner, which was submitted to the journal IDEA (Franklin Pierce) which manuscript IDEA declined to publish:

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Stalk and Lachenauer analysis concerns something that wasn’t published in the book. Although the text in the Harvard Business Review did include a heading “plagiarize with pride,” a proposed book chapter heading “Plagiarize, don't shade your eyes” didn’t make it. The Economist wrote: With the editors at the Harvard Business School Press, the internal police at BCG [Boston Consulting Group] also balked at some of the language, chuckles Mr Stalk. One chapter heading, urging managers to "Plagiarise, don't shade your eyes", became "Take it and make it your own."

(...)

Management Today reviewed the concepts in the following way:

How many good ideas do you have a year, really? Who in your management team is a top performer and who is merely a makeweight? You probably don't have time to develop all your own talent and you certainly will not have a monopoly on all the good ideas. So - guess what - you are going to have to steal some.

IPBiz to Professor Thomas Field of Franklin Pierce (who wrote of Jaffe and Lerner: "Those who share my belief that two relative newcomers have little grasp of key problems, much less meaningful solutions, should not stand silent."): sorry Professor, but your own school won't publish commentary on Jaffe and Lerner. Look also on IPFrontline.

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