Some problems are so complex and difficult to solve that they have their own name. At least that’s what philosopher Timothy Morton thought when he published his book in 2013 Hyperobjects: Philosophy and Ecology after the End of the World. A thinker coined the term hyperobject to accurately describe it, cbears that are massively distributed in time and space and the entirety of which is virtually impossible to comprehend and address with the human mind.
It deals with huge, complex and difficult objects such as black holes, oil spills and of course climate change. “Today’s pressing challenges are fundamental complex and systemic and cannot be solved by individual actors, regions or territories in isolation.“, warned the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Mariya Gabriel in the foreword A survey of European innovation ecosystems prepared by CE in 2021.
Does this mean that all we can do is throw in the towel and surrender to defeat? Not at all. According to the commissioner, as well as cooperation between companies, public administrations and research centers, it was essential to get man to the moon and solve problems such as climate change, food security and growing global inequality “can only be achieved with innovation ecosystems that leverage and connect their strengths national, regional and local ecosystems that support the participation of all actors and territories and make better use of all talents across Europe.
“Ecosystems enable companies to create value that no one person could achieve alone”, promoted strategy, business and innovation expert from Dartmouth University (USA) Ron Adner in 2006 in an iconic article published in Harvard Business Review. But what are these ecosystems? What technologies and areas of expertise do you specialize in? By what mechanisms is your cooperation defined? And most importantly, how will they develop in the coming years?
These are just the types of questions we will try to answer in the near future Ecosystems 2030, which will be held in A Coruña on May 4 and 5. The goal of the meeting is to “explore the ecosystems that will emerge in the next 10 years from technologies such as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, financial technology, 3D printing, robotics, and virtual and augmented reality.” Hence its name.
And in the face of the mantra of extreme competition that only pursues its own benefit, collaboration between companies, academia and governments through innovation ecosystems It is “the only way to face today’s and tomorrow’s biggest challenges”former member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology Shirley Ann Jackson, whose research career is full of recognition, awards and honors, said last year.
ECOSYSTEMS FOR THE NEW EUROPE
Investments in innovation ecosystems also become particularly urgent as Europe continues to lag behind in technological leadership and the grand challenges worsen. According to the EC survey, there are two main reasons for their enforcement “to deliver innovation that contributes to the EU’s political ambitions in the field of ecological and digital transformation Europe” and “support deep and revolutionary technological innovation and the role of start-ups as key dynamic agents and drivers of innovation”.
And demonstrate their potential as drivers of progress in a chapter dedicated to innovation ecosystems Global Competitiveness Report 2020: How countries are doing on the road to recoveryThe World Economic Forum states: “It is estimated that in econ In the OECD, five new jobs are created for every million dollars invested in public research and developmentand doubles when investment is channeled through higher education institutions. This number is higher than the job creation generated by investment in any type of infrastructure in advanced economies (electricity, roads, health and education, water and sanitation).
But he warns that “long-term, publicly funded research projects that can generate the kind of risky, disruptive innovation the world needs have slowed. Governments have backed away from the kind of intensive research programs that underpinned the space race and other mission-focused approaches to innovation.”
Against this backdrop, the third review of the New European Innovation Agenda, presented in January this year, focuses on “accelerating and strengthening innovation through European innovation ecosystems across the EU to unleash excellence across the continent and connecting regional innovation valleys involving regions with lower innovation performance to support key EU priorities.”
The idea already has several years of experience, as shown by the fact that in 2017 the newly elected French President Emmanuel Macron started using the term “European sovereignty” in his speeches and proposed the creation of a “European Agency for Disruptive Innovation.” ”, which would have a similar role to DARPA in the United States. But years passed without the European DARPA seeing the light and with it our percentage of GDP on research and development is further and further away from the great powers.
It is in this context initiatives like Ecosystems 2030 can do their bit to turn the situation around. Due to the undeniable power of collaboration, this year’s program includes some of the main leaders from the worlds of business, politics and academia, such as Vice-President for Networks of the United Nations Sustainable Development Network, María Cortés Puch, Director of Information at Imperial College London (UK), Juan Villamil and Senior Director of Engineering, Google Artificial Intelligence Research Strategy, Pilar Manchón.
No one company will be able to solve climate change alone. No single government will be able to protect us from the growing risks of cyber security. Even the latest impressive advances in artificial intelligence would not be possible without the vast amount of data that humanity generates every second, and decades of prior research by companies and knowledge institutions. And, of course, we will not be able to address its most pernicious risks without a global joining of forces. If the world’s great problems have become hyperobjects, we must give them hypersolutions. Long live innovation ecosystems.