Inspiration, Vision and Illusion
To get from A to C you have to pass through B As the latest studies have documented, Switzerland can once again in 2013 lay claim to the title of the world’s most innovative country. Nevertheless, it must be remembered that these rankings only ever document the fruits of the past. The competition to come up with new ideas is today unrelenting, fastpaced and global in scale. A hardearned competitive advantage gained over a number of decades can be squandered in only a few years, as the examples of BlackBerry, Nokia and Kodak clearly demonstrate. To be successful over the long term, it is essential to keep coming up with new ideas, which in turn can be used to develop innovative services and products. Innovation is the source of true wealth; it not only safeguards a company’s or country’s immediate future, but also its long-term prosperity. It is very rare that innovation is derived from groups or institutions; on the contrary, innovations almost invariably originate from individual creative lateral thinkers. It is the courage to 2
SWISS INNOVATION FORUM 2013
swim against the tide and question generally recognised dogmas that sets innovative entrepreneurs of this kind apart. Lateral thinkers and innovators see what everybody else sees, but in doing so come up with thoughts and ideas which nobody else has previously had. In the scientific world, it is accepted that getting from A to C does not necessarily mean having to pass through B; a route via X or Z may also lead you to your desired destination. Clever entrepreneurs from Switzerland and southern Germany know, however, that the path from A to C most definitely passes through B, namely Basel, where the Swiss Innovation Forum will be held – for the eighth time – on 20 November 2013. We are very much looking forward to welcoming you to the leading innovation conference at the Congress Center in Basel on 20 November 2013. You will have the opportunity to network with some 1,000 leading figures from the worlds of business, entrepreneurship, research and politics and glean inspiration from the interesting keynote speeches, movers & shakers, numerous workshops and best case sessions. See you there!
Stefan Linder
Peter Stähli