The Boston Globe this morning has an interesting article about how the United States government joins soaring use of contests to engage innovators. The article points to NASA's Centennial Challenges program and the X-Prize as contemporary examples leading to innovation. The Department of Energy is also offering the L Prize to the inventor of an energy-efficient alternative to the 60-watt light bulb and the H Prize to be awarded for advances in hydrogen fuel cell materials for cars. The Defense Department's DARPA has conducted the Grand Challenge. Then there is the Heinlein Prize Trust Microgravity Research Competition now underway. Even now NASA is looking for new prize ideas; and, the Congress is also considering the Nanotechnology Innovation and Prize Competition Act. The new ARPA-E will probably get into the innovation prize mix soon as well.
The thrill of competition in the expansion of innovation is real.
No comments:
Post a Comment