Ø “This (knowledge) movement is
one about technological innovation and the quality of life. It is
about the relationships among people. It is a story of how advanced
telecommunications infrastructures provide both centralization and
connectivity among individuals.”
- Mauri Lazkano.
Ø “This is a showcase of a global
network of parks and incubators - each overcoming the boundaries of
countries and cultures, open to accept each other by discussing best
practices and discovering new competencies. We should drive the
movement and not be driven by it.”
- Klaus Plate.
Ø We are a country moving from
shipbuilding to a new economic networked world with a strategy of 1.
New industrial development; 2. Increased R&D spending; 3. S&T
investment plan for the technological convergence; 4. New S&T
policies aligned with the new digital economy and knowledge society;
5. New scenarios with a mindset for knowledge, information technology
and human assets; 6. Balanced growth with solidarity; 7. Image as a
country of contrasts building a new economic and social space -
developing the possibilities. We can if we want to; and we want to!”
- Basque President.
Ø “E-commerce is about buying and
selling; E-business is about transformation. Lines are being erased
between products and services. We’re changing what people expect.
Hotel Bilbao is not about the room; it’s about the trip. It’s not
about the bank; its about the process. Future value is about the
performance of the intangible side of the business. Innovation will
drive leadership!”
- Chuck Martin (CEO, Net Future Institute).
Ø “10 KM lessons learned: 1. Many
people just do not get it; 2. It’s about Community; 3. External
members of the community are critical; 4. Next Step - community in the
clients; 5. Connecting has more results than collecting; 6. Difference
in managing information and knowledge sharing; 7. Access to the
knowledge is not enough; 8. Practice is more important than process;
9. The knowledge resides in the narrative; and 10. We understand the
world through story-telling.”
- Stephen Denning (CKO, The World Bank)
Ø “Universities no longer have a
monopoly on knowledge - especially ‘e-ducation without borders.’
The Entrepreneurial University is a university of business with
business professionals as faculty - rediscovering the vision of
building sustainable business through profitable innovation (e.g.,
action learning, incubation, networked spin-offs and business
environment experience.”
- Piero Formica (Dean, International University of Entrepreneurship).
Ø “Partnership and collaboration
is our middle name. No one company will make business in the networked
world by themselves. Clusters of companies will make business through
a global network of partnering centers.”
- Miguel Angel Rodrigues Palma (CEO, Ericsson).
Ø “We’re building a ‘collective
learning system’ that will lead the transition from the industrial
to the knowledge society.”
- Andres Arizkorreta (President, Basque Country Knowledge Cluster).
Ø “We are witnessing the shift
from Technology Parks to ‘Learning Villages’ based upon knowledge
exchange. Many different models now accelerating the innovation
process based upon the IT revolution. We’ve moved from national to
urban and now into cyberspace within which we live and communicate.
This new species - ½ virtual and ½ physical - operating in the new
economy will create a new set of rules of astonishing contrasts.
People learning and working across the globe…services global, but
locally rooted…placing pressure on our sense of identity. In the
end, what is knowledge if it is not what we are?!”
- Luis Sanz (IASP General Director).
Ø “We are in the Millennium of
Innovation in which significant transformation has caused a creation
of innovation networks; and we are the source (of innovation) within
ourselves.”
- Prof. Manuel Castells (University of California at Berkeley).
Ø “(On managing intangibles) It
doesn’t matter what it is called as long as it brings a return back.
In attracting the second round of financing, it is difficult to
attract foreign companies. Think entrepreneurial, focus on the
customer, use leverage (and leverage the resources that you have), don’t
be greedy and earn respect through performance of the intangibles.”
- Lex de Lange (CEO, Zernike Group).
Ø “In building an internat5inal
city of wisdom, science and technology, the cross-fertilization of
brains should create more innovation. To achieve real success, we must
change the sociology to change the culture.”
- Pierre Lafitte (President, Foundation Sophia Antpoilis).
Ø “Innovation is the path to
profit. If a company doesn’t make money, it doesn’t exist.
Failures include: 1. Insufficient capital; 2. Development of unwanted
products; 3. Lack of a profit model; 4. Incapable of selling products;
and 5. Inadequate management team. In essence, if you plan the
technology ahead of its time, you will lose money on the 1st product.
Consider Gillett, Disney and Pepsi as profit model designs.”
- Jim Liu (CEO, Base Technology Group).
Ø “Is the ‘new’ economy just a
US gimmick or is it the real combination of labor/productivity, real
IT investment and US venture capital. There is a strong correlation
with the leaps in productivity and growth in GDP. Return on investment
in Europe has been far lower. The average growth rate in the US is
higher than the peak growth rate in Europe. But the investment in
venture backed businesses for Q1 in 2001 is still greater that Q4 in
99.”
- Peter Jungen (VP Business Angels Association).
Ø “This new economy - in a new
space/time environment - doesn’t depend upon physical structures
requires adapted corporate structures. This new ‘social space’
overlaps with the ‘country’ and ‘city’ space. Re-inventing the
economic environment converts ‘network actors’ to ‘network
agents’ with consequences (e.g., money transferred to electronic
space, don’t have to travel, customer relationships can be
personalized, products are demonstrated through multi-media and the
role of the salesman is redefined.”
- Prof. Javier Echeverria (CSIC, Madrid).
Ø “The future of science parks and
incubators will be visible, virtual and viable. There are implications
for the need for a common language, understanding the migration of
people and the transitory nature of canters of learning. What we think
today will be significantly different from 50 years from now. A Global
SME might invent in Russia, engineer in Turkey, manufacture in
Singapore and sell through Germany. These global partnerships can be
serendipitous or strategies formulated to make them happen.”
- Bob Hodgson (Zernike Group UK).
Ø “The mission of Science &
Technology is for the betterment of mankind and economic development.
We in the US do not look to Washington to stimulate our economy;
rather, the efforts are local and regional. Advocacy of the
entrepreneur has shifted from job development to the acceleration of
business execution. The decision for incubation is very separate from
the seed funding decision…moving from idea creation to business
creation. Talk about wealth creation - not employment). All requires a
new mindset in both industrialized and developing nations.”
- Jill Felix (CEO, University Science Center of Philadelphia).