“In times of rapid change, experience could be your worst enemy.” (J. Paul Getty). Empirical knowledge is indispensable as a solid working basis, but external stimuli and a certain degree of “constructive dissatisfaction” are equally important.
Innovation
The starting point for every innovation process is readiness to question the status quo – even if things are apparently functioning well. That is what drives creativity. It calls for intuition and imaginativeness on the one hand, but at the same time also structure and a systematic approach.
New ideas often arise through association, i.e. unconventional combinations of already known properties or methods.
In the past, development work was frequently done “behind closed doors”, but in today’s age of global networks, comprehensive information exchange has become vital – especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. The image of an inventor in his secret workshop has long since ceased to reflect reality.