GREG HOLDEN
Greg Holden is a Business Writer for the Industrial Research Institute (IRI) in Arlington, VA. He formerly worked as Chief Editor of an international trading brokerage in Tel Aviv, Israel. He is in charge of producing content based on IRI-generated research and assists with writing articles for IRI’s journal, Research-Technology Management (RTM).
As innovation leaders in industry gather to discuss the front and back end of innovation in a global context, a common theme emerges. Whether expanding to a neighboring country or across oceans, entering a foreign market is always a “beyond-the-core” activity requiring the development of new competencies. One solution: identify skills first, not people.
“Mad scientists”—rule-breaking geniuses whose resistance to convention sometimes produces radical innovations—are both a blessing and a challenge to R&D organizations. Recent studies suggest how such rogue innovators can shape a company’s culture and what can be done to channel their influence.
