It is increasingly evident that cities, even those with a rich
history of economic strength, need to continually reinvent themselves in
order to prosper. As technology expands, cities around the world move forward rapidly, continuing
to innovate becomes event more important in sustaining the well being of a
region. Maintaining a high quality of life requires encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship.
"Innovation is the specific instrument of entrepreneurship…the act that endows resources with a new capacity to create wealth." – Peter Drucker, Innovation
“Innovation is probably the single biggest factor determining who succeeds and who fails anywhere in the world.” – Nick Donofrio, IBM Corporation
“In the 21st century, innovation that matters will come from open, collaborative, multi-disciplinary and global engagement.” – IBM Global Innovation Outlook, 2007
“Creativity – generating ideas – is relatively easy. Innovation – putting them to work – is far more difficult.” – Theodore Levitt “Creativity is not Enough”, Harvard Business Review, Executive Edition, Spring 2007
"All innovation begins with creative ideas . . . We define innovation as the successful implementation of creative ideas within an organization. In this view, creativity by individuals and teams is a starting point for innovation; the first is necessary but not sufficient condition for the second". - Dr. Teresa M. Amabile
"Often, in common parlance, the words creativity and innovation are used interchangeably. They shouldn't be, because while creativity implies coming up with ideas, it's the "bringing ideas to life" . . . that makes innovation the distinct undertaking it is." - Tony Davila
"Innovation . . . is generally understood as the introduction of a new thing or method . . . Innovation is the embodiment, combination, or synthesis of knowledge in original, relevant, valued new products, processes, or services. (p. 2)" – Richard Luecke and Ralph Katz