I see innovation as the key for growth and prosperity for any society. I am not sure our Government or the American people as a whole value innovation as it use to in years past. Have we turned from a nation of innovators to a nation of consumers?
I think the U.S. generally encourages the business community to be innovative. With the U.S. built on democratic and capitalistic principles, this offers an environment for a lot of opportunities for small businesses to be innovators. Additionally, our university system as well as Government R&D and applied R&D programs have provided and still provide a great environment for innovation for large and small businesses.
In regard to large businesses some are innovative and some are not. Innovation for large businesses seems to depend on the competitive environment and how much value the company puts into R&D. Many large businesses seem to “rest on their laurels” versus there are some large companies that continue to innovate and re-invent themselves: Google, Apple, GE, and so on.
At the individual level, Americans are continually labeled as consumers. You continually hear the word consumer when someone talks about the American people. It use to be that the American people were labeled as having an innovating or pioneering spirit. The American people as a whole were driving innovation creating things on their farms, in their workshops, and garages. I am starting to cringe now-a-days when I hear the words American Consumer. We need to get those words out of our vocabulary and encourage individual innovation again.
