Why Innovation Matters Even More Today - Transforming Your STEM Career Through Leadership and Innovation - page 30

Core Levers
1. Break boundaries for strategic
partnerships
2. Engage women in design and diffusion
3. Cultivate champions
4. Create “buzz” to make it “stick”
5. Capitalize on opportune timing and
context
6. Target efforts to reach poor women
7. Synergize top-down and bottom-up
approaches
FIGURE 2.2 Core Levers. Source: International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) (2009)
education, and business. The two focus areas with respect to women and inno-
vation include, first, the need to encourage women (particularly STEM profes-
sionals) to focus more on innovation, and, second, the impact that innovation
can have on women in a community. When women innovate, they impact soci-
ety in different ways than teams comprised of only men. This is often seen in
developing countries, where the impact of innovations can be quickly realized.
A research study by the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
examined innovation with a gender lens and identified seven core levers critical for
innovation to catalyze meaningful change for women in developing countries (see
Figure 2.2 ) [14] . This research is the first scholarly assessment of its kind to under-
stand how innovations have improved women's well-being, empowered women,
and advanced gender equality. The research reveals the significant impact inno-
vation can have on women. Specifically, innovations can benefit women in many
smaller nations simply by improving their well-being in terms of health, nutrition,
income, and even life span. In addition, these sometimes small but vital improve-
ments in well-being through innovation can lead to women's empowerment as well
as securing freedom and needed resources for women in a community.
MODELS OF INNOVATION
A basic model can be applied to innovation. In its simplest form, a linear model
of innovation has been traditionally used in manufacturing organizations. This
is where an agent (person or business) innovates in order to sell the innovation.
In addition to linear models of innovation with the global thrust for increased
innovation in our communities (primarily in the business environment), we have
developed collaborative systems of innovation - which brings us back to inno-
vation ecosystems , mentioned earlier in the chapter.
If we look at the European innovation ecosystem ( Figure 2.3 ) [15] , we can
see the characteristics that many other countries have incorporated as well.
Idea generation can be performed by an individual in his or her garage,
but it is a crucial component of the innovation ecosystem. Product innova-
tion involves a design, and development of the idea into a product. Talent