From the iconic Italian novel, The Leopard, comes the insight, “If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.”  If innovation is to remain the fuel for the economic engine of the United States then the process of innovation will have to change.  Duane Roth, CEO of CONNECT, supports a new paradigm for innovation which emphasizes a “distributed partnering model” with a focus on advancing products rather than companies.  This parsed approach would concentrate talent, capital and intellectual property in a manner which would potentially have greater efficiency and less risk, and therefore be easier to finance.  The old model of huge, fully integrated companies would be replaced by entities distinctly concentrated in the product functions of discovery, definition, development and delivery.  Coincidentally, San Diego has scores of companies which would be very happy to see this innovative approach to innovation blossom. 

Recently Roth contributed an Insight & Opinion article for the Xconomist Forum.  Click here to read Addressing the Innovation “Valley of Death:” It’s the Products, Stupid!

 You can also check out the paper authored by Roth and Pedro Cuatrecasas of UCSD presented by the Kauffman Foundation. 

 The press release from the Kauffman foundation is here.

Yesterday I attended a luncheon in Qualcomm‘s boardroom which featured Rep. Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment and the co-author of the Waxman-Markey Bill, “The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009” (H.R. 2454). The bill passed the house in June by a seven vote margin and is now in the Senate for consideration. Congressman Markey explained that the national discussion of this landmark legislation has been stalled by the emotional debate over health-care reform. The health-care rhetoric starves the political room of oxygen for all other discussions. When (and if) a health-care plan is finalized, the national debate over the historic energy bill will grab center stage.

As would be expected of a 33 year veteran of the House, the Congressman is both witty and articulate. He had a chance to demonstrate his listening skills when local business leaders told him what was needed to sustain the San Diego innovation economy. Duane Roth, CEO of CONNECT, stressed the need for effective intellectual property protection with enforcement home and abroad. A senior Qualcomm executive made the case for enlightened immigration regulations. He noted that over the years Qualcomm has recruited many of the “best and brightest” only to lose them when their legal right to remain in the US expired. In each case the U.S. lost a tax payer and Qualcomm lost a skilled, experienced employee who in many cases became employed by an overseas competitor to Qualcomm.

Link to H.R. 2454:   American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009