| [E100 Alert] – Après Dubai: A Wave of Insight |
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| Dear E100: |
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| From dawn to dusk, delegates from the World Summit on Innovation and
Entrepreneurship (WSIE) 2008 enjoyed a feast of experiences. More than 800 top
names from across the globe attended the three days of innovation theatres,
interactive workshops and thematic experiences to build a foundation for
increased innovation. |
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| The
2008 WSIE provided an impressive line-up of remarkable leaders and
personalities, including designers, policymakers, technologists, communicators,
spiritual gurus, economists, storytellers, humanitarians, chief executives
and musicians from across the globe. It was an opportunity to learn from
representatives from over 70 nations and make connections between technology,
culture, the performing arts, green (and blue) environments, and the role of
innovation as an instrument for world peace – our parting comment at the 2006
WSIE in Oman! |
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| The
2008 WSIE was supported by the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and
Development (OECD), multiple agencies of the United Nations, the African
Union and leading international business councils and multinational
corporations. Strategic sponsors include Sorouh, HP, Agility, Geopost,
PepsiCo, Nokia Siemens Networks with CNBC Arabiya as the official broadcaster
and Emirates Airlines as the official carrier. Visit the updated website - www.wsie.org |
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| ENTOVATION Interaction… |
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| In
addition to many local colleagues, several E100 made it to Dubai: Janis
Stabulnieks (Latvia), Piero Formica (currently in Sweden), Olimpia Salas (Venezuela), Clint Ackerman (USA), Bryan Davis (Canada) and of course Sam Hamdan (Lebanon/USA) – the WSIE architect. |
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| We
were provided a tour de force of the Dubai landscape, from the waterfront marinas
to the Free Zones and even an inside view of the floating Palm Island under construction. We had views of Dubai Knowledge Village, the Media City, the Financial District, the Internet City and plans for the Humanitarian City. It put into perspective the hype from the aspirations and the extraordinary UAE
leadership and blue communities under development by Nakheel, the WSIE
sponsor. |
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| We
were also sponsored by a new company – The Edge – based in Dubai. Their unique focus is on Knowledge Work Environments – a field that has been
underrepresented in the knowledge profession-to-date. Included were Joumana Al Jabri, Ayman Zahreddine, Hani Asfour Rita Younes and Marwan Homsi among others. Take the initiative to
be some of the first exposed to these exciting plans - http://www.theedge.ae/;
and stay tuned for further announcements. |
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| 1st International Award for Knowledge Innovation® |
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| Perhaps the most exciting event was the Innovators Hall of Fame that recognized 10 global luminaries. Drawn from a pool of almost 1,000 icons, geniuses and mavericks, the Most Innovative People were honored with trophies designed by renowned Spanish sculptor, Fernando Capa Sanz. The awards represent a journey of enlightenment that expresses the story of progress and prosperity pointing the path from the industrial age towards a knowledge-based revolution. |
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| Recipients
included Ms. Hamda Harizi, Founder of Gourmet House for Remarkable
Enterprises, Samuel J. Palmisano, Chairman of Board and Chief Executive
Officer of IBM for Technology Innovation, Archbishop Desmond Tutu (Human
Greatness), Neil Turok, founder of the African Institute of Mathematical
Sciences (Social Innovation), Ms. Padmasree Warrior, Chief Technology Officer
of Cisco Systems (Women Mavericks), Innovivor Team (Inspiring Ideas), Marc
Yu, child prodigy (Amazing Minds), Sultan bin Sulayem, Chairman of Nakheel
(Blue Innovation) and H.E. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda (Innovation for
Peace). |
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| The
Award for Knowledge Innovation® was presented to Mr. Ashok Soota,
Chairman and Managing Director of MindTree Consulting as a tribute to his: |
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Foresight: Bold ability to recognize the knowledge economy as an
opportunity for his country and the world as well as for his inspiring
foresight in encouraging the strategic management of knowledge innovation. |
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Courage: Solid track record of upholding the vital virtues of innovation
– confidence, compassion, humility, honesty, integrity and diligence as well
as for his courage to lead by values, with integrity and supportive of
openness, transparency and questioning within the organization.
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Benevolence: Indelible effect in imparting a sense of significance, community
and meaning across all enterprises, departments and efforts as well as for
his steadfast belief in developing people into knowledge leaders, both in his
organization, and in the industry at large. |
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Connected Leadership: Transformative force in building MindTree Consulting as an
interconnected knowledge ecosystem, led by ideas and nurturing of capacity
through community collaboration and leadership development. |
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Execution Excellence: Relentless execution and incredible effectiveness to transform
and grow several enterprises into market leaders and to harness intellectual
capital to innovate and generate profitable and sustainable economic value. |
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| The Most Innovative People Award for Knowledge Innovation
honored the creativity, compassion and community demonstrated by Ashok Soota
in innovating his enterprise, the nation of India, and the society of
entrepreneurs around the globe. |
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| Thanks to the efforts of E100 Raj Datta (India) and Ron Dvir (Israel), MindTree Consulting produced a corporate version of the children’s nook – In Search of Innovation - and made it available to al WSIE 2008 delegates. Mr.
Soota’s Foreword is a reminder to us all of what is involved in innovating
our future…together! |
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| Innovivors… |
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| Our closing
statement at the WSIE in Muscat, Oman, was that ‘Innovation is the instrument
for World Peace’. The Globat Leadership Team (GLT) had taken up the gauntlet;
and initiated another program innovation – Innovivors…intended to ignite the
innovation capacity of youth. The intent is to engage stakeholders from all
walks of society to fund, design and implement ‘Innovation Pearls’ that will
catalyze the imagination of impoverished youth, initially throughout the
Middle East and Africa. |
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| The program as
designed is intended to also awaken the spiritual and social qualities of
youth, facilitate collaboration through new innovations, and incorporate
youth into interfaith dialogues. They plan to develop the blueprint for the 1st Youth Innovation Network (YIN), the 1st ‘Innovation for Peace’TM Tour, and an ‘Innovation for Peace’TM Education program, and to
produce the 1st ‘Innovation for Peace’’TM Reality TV
Program. Plans are already underway for a meeting at the United Nations to
lobby for a global youth passport – one of the many ideas coming from WSIE
deliberations. |
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| You can review the results of WSIE 2006 that was held in Muscat Oman. As soon as the final report of WSIE 2008 in Dubai is ready, we will scope it for you! |
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| Why is this significant? |
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| ENTOVATION [Enterprise Innovation] has been dedicated to bringing together the two communities, which
until now have been rather separate. The Knowledge Community needed the rigor
of the Innovation Community; and the Innovation Community needed to evolve
beyond technological innovation into an understanding of the flow of
knowledge. Now, we can go beyond knowledge and innovation into Knowledge
Innovation - an idea that was only a concept 15 short years ago. |
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| Now, we have excellent examples from the Chinese Knowledge Innovation Program, India’s plans to focus on Knowledge Innovation and even countries like Uganda utilizing the
terminology as a vision to catapult progress. Knowledge Innovation Zones
(KIZ) are sprouting in ever corner of the globe and some with enviable
detailed action planning. Many are experimenting with modern measures of intellectual
capital and intangible wealth; and the notion of knowledge innovation ecology
has become a reality. |
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| Innovation value
networks and collaborative technology platforms are now the norm; and
management methodologies are evolving with kaleidoscopic speed. Twenty years
ago, these terms were just that – concepts, labels…and in some instances
wishful thinking. Today, many of the best examples are grounded in practice
with a new sense of values, valuing and valuation. |
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| Some would say we
are amidst a (positive) Tsunami – if there could be such a thing. We are
definitely amidst a sea change where a critical mass of leadership is not
questioning the Knowledge–based Economy, Society and Infrastructure; they are
asking how best to manage and seeking best practices and demonstration
projects to document performance success. |
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| Our work, then, has clearly only begun… |
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| Always in your Network, |
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| Debra |
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| NOTE:
Knowledge Innovation® is a registered trademark of ENTOVATION International
Ltd. |
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