The worldwide management consulting firm McKinsey & Company recently invited me to write about prospects for innovation in Asia, as a contribution to an ongoing discussion of where the world’s primary centers of innovation will be in the coming decades.
Today, they posted the result, “Asia and the elements of innovation”. I focus on China, and examine what I see as the three essential elements:
- The drive for change
- Human capital for science and technology
- The capacity for mobilization
9 August 2009 Update: This essay has sparked a lively discussion on the McKinsey site, now at 57 comments, with many contributors in or from countries in Asia. Most commenters like my general approach, though often with reservations or extensions. I’ve add a follow-up comment regarding two points of concern: breakthrough science vs. incremental innovation (I think breakthroughs are somewhat overrated), and the willingness of students to engage in independent thinking (which is increasing in China).
For other commentary related to innovation, see also:
- The Antiparallel Structures of Science and Engineering
- How to Understand Everything (and Why)
- Exploratory Engineering: Applying the predictive power of science to future technologies
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@ James — I’ve moved the “nanobot” discussion here.