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innovation DAILY

Here we highlight selected innovation related articles from around the world on a daily basis.  These articles related to innovation and funding for innovative companies, and best practices for innovation based economic development.

Intellectual property rights (IP) is one of the major component of research in many organizations (both profit and non-profit), institutes and academics. Since 1970’s, during which a Canadian non-governmental organization (ETC group) filed two patent applications for the first time on “the world’s first-ever human-made life form”, many companies including academic institutes or universities are encouraging their researchers to protect their findings through IP’s. It is obvious for the researcher to surprise if he looks at the number of patents that were issued since 1970 on various entities over the advancement of science. Despite intense database on inventions and/or discoveries of various scientific organizations, the increasing interests of the scientists to protect their inventions/technology/discovery thorough IP is significantly reducing the accessibility of their findings and there by slowing advances in science. In this review, we are discussing on various components of patenting tools, protection and methodologies as an introductory material for scientists and students for the better understanding of intellectual property (IP) rights. We would like to promote the use of IP’s to protect the technology being theft out for biological terrorism rather than a commercial motif to “Business” the science.

 

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The NASVF conference this week presented a wide array of options and opinions on seed and early stage funding. Representatives of federal, regional, state, and both public and private sector economic development and investment organizations participated on panels. Most felt that their approaches would be successful, but the only things they truly agreed upon was that such investment was both necessary to our future economic growth and harder to get in this economy.

 

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NEW HAVEN — - Despite its lofty ranking when it comes to personal income, Connecticut has been slow to harness the wealth of its most prosperous residents to support technology startups.

A new state plan — endorsed this week by Gov. M. Jodi Rell — would give tax credits to such "angel investors."

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Alexander Pope’s 1709 “Essay on Criticism” had these immortal lines “…for fools rush in where angels fear to tread”. He was of course referring to the literary critics of his time and, in his time, implied some one who behaved foolishly rather than referring to a simpleton or someone lacking in intelligence as it does now.

Every entrepreneur, observer, VC, analyst and even bureaucrat will tell you that there’s a severe shortage of true boot-strapping capital. The money required to really start off on the entrepreneurial journey. Friends, family and fools (collectively FFF, rather unfairly but with tongue firmly in cheek) provide the initial emotional and perhaps some monetary support for the budding entrepreneur. It invariably takes more than that to demonstrate the venture is capable of taking off.

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So you’ve got the killer social application, community, feature, software. The idea is going to make mint! Now what?

According to IDEA2009 - the conference for social and experience design, held here at MaRS yesterday - you need to design an experience that will make that idea sing with users. For that, Christian Crumlish and Erin Malone, authors of O’Reilly Media’s Designing Social Interfaces, present: 5 Steps, 5 Principles and 5 No-No’s for your killer social media innovation.

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Technology blogs TechCrunch and AllThingsD reported that the San Francisco microblogging upstart has raised at least $50 million in a new round of venture capital that values the company at $1 billion.

Twitter, which lets you share your thoughts online — but only if they can be kept to 140 characters or less — has generated a lot of buzz, but not a lot of revenue. ($1,000,000,000 — that's 14 characters right there.)

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According to C.K. Prahalad, a professor of corporate strategy at the Ross School of Business of the University of Michigan, corporations seeking to create new markets addressing the needs of the billions of poor people living at the bottom of the economic pyramid can — and should — use that effort to drive sustainability and innovation within their own ranks.

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September 18, 2009 - President Obama announced the recipients of the 2008 National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the nation’s highest honors for science and technology research. Many recipients are members of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, or Institute of Medicine. They will receive their awards on Oct. 7 at a White House ceremony.
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Jim Jaffe, President and CEO of NASVF:

I want to thank everyone that attended the NASVF Conference in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma this week and especially our host, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber and all the sponsors that supported this fantastic event.

There were many great opportunities to learn from the best practitioners in the country at the diversified panel discussions along with listening to keynote presenters.

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Developing Nations Need Technology Transfer To green Industries, Says Mukhriz

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 (Bernama) -- Developing nations need technology transfer to "green" the industries, says Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Mukhriz Tun Mahathir.

While local innovations to green the industries would continue, Malaysia would like to have access to the technology available worldwide to jump start the process.

Quick Facts: How Successful Angels Invest

Savvy investors know they aren’t psychics and aren’t living in an ideal world. They know that many startups will fail so they use a portfolio approach to balance their risks. They invest in a number of companies rather than just one and only scope for those that have a potential payoff of at least 5 to as much as 30x their invested capital in 3 to 5 years. This way, the startups that succeed would generate a return handsome enough to not only recoup their losses but also fatten up their bank accounts.

Experts Outline Challenges to Translational Research in the United States at a Capitol...

Experts Outline Challenges to Translational Research in the United States at a Capitol Hill Briefing, Emphasizing the Importance of Bringing Medical Innovation from 'Bench to Bedside'

Council for American Medical Innovation Brings Together Policy Experts for 'Translational Research: From Bench to Bedside,' the Second in a Series of Briefings About Achieving 'Recovery Through Discovery'

Join the Entrepreneurs' Movement

The Public Forum Institute, together with our PDE partners at the Kauffman Foundation, invite you to join Build a Stronger America , the Entrepreneurs' Movement.

Regardless of where you live, if you are like 80 percent of Americans, you believe that the economy has been, and will continue to be, built by entrepreneurs. We believe that entrepreneurs' voices need to be heard and will work to educate government officials about the important role entrepreneurs play in our economy.

Russia faces long road to diversify economy

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia must deliver on pledges to reform the tax system and encourage the creation of home-grown seed capital if it wants to make long-standing dreams of reducing its reliance on oil a reality.

Economic diversification has for years been the holy grail for a Russian economy that grew fat on the proceeds from oil, gas and metals revenues, but these goals have proved just as elusive in the financial crisis as they did in the boom years.

Nigeria: Dedicate Annual Budget to Micro Credit, Napep Tells States

Abuja — The National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) has advised state governments to dedicate a portion of their yearly budgets to the provision micro-credit for Nigerians, to ensure that substantial funds are made available to the poor in the society.

While addressing newsmen in Abuja, the Senior Special Assistant to President/National Coordinator of NAPEP, Dr. Magnus Kpakol, stressed that NAPEP is also partnering states to ensure the success of the Village Trust Fund Scheme (VTFS).