Innovation Slow Down? Of course

Another great voice from the silent -but becoming louder - Innovation movement is raising the alarm. This time not from someone raised and protected in academic or think-tank circles, this time it is from someone that has been in the technology and innovation trenches for her entire career. Her name is Judy Estrin and was former CTO of Cisco and an entrepreneur, founder of four technology startups. Please check out the article below.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/01/technology/01estrin.htm?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1220620493-Tb12xYB2EfoxHkvGFog++w

There has been an innovation slowdown. It is fact. Why? I do not really now. I theorize that it has to do with economic cycle maturity (in that we may have reached our economic and creative zenith), or our lack of attention and focus on the core issues, those being education, infrastructure and health-care. Maybe it is has been caused by the "crowding effect" an economics term that describes how by spending and focusing on one thing (war in Iraq) "crowds out" all other concerns and priorities.
Whatever the causes and effects, there is still time and I commend Obama for trying to give this issue the attention that it deserves by advancing the idea of a cabinet level CTO position and the names of people like Vint Cerf that have been in the trenches of Innovation and industry creation.

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