Tag Archives: innovation

Innovation is not a big issue in the paper industry

RISI recently published their list of the top 50 movers and shakers of the paper industry. The list comprises the usual suspects, but also a few amusing surprises. No. 5 on the list is Steve Jobs, since Apple’s products have changed consumer behavior faster than any other. The only innovator from within the paper industry is Mikael Lindström of Innventia at No. 42.

If there is one thing the pulp and paper industry needs in the 21st century, it is innovation. It must find new ways and new products to make – not just simply turning pulp into the commodity of paper.
Fortunately there are some very able and creative brains on the case. One of them is Mikael Lindström, adjunct professor, and research manager at Sweden’s Innventia, a research institute working for the pulp, paper and packaging industries. Since 1998, Lindström has been the senior research manager, for the New Materials and Composites division as well as a “principal investigator” for biomimetic fiber engineering.
Lindström has developed a concept for integrated materials – Hierarchic Design – using pulp as one of the major ingredients which has been presented both at scientific conferences and twice during the prestigious Design Week in Milan. This included market pulp producer Södra’s Parupu children’s chair and a designer lamp, both made out of DuraPulp. The lamp has very recently won Sweden’s biggest and most prestigious design prize, Design S. The bi-annual award is granted by the Swedish Design Association.
Mikael Lindström, Innventia innovator

Increasing innovative work behaviour

An old friend of mine actually reads my blog and gives me comments via e-mail. After reading about the Linchpin story, he gave me a link to Gisela Jönsson’s interesting blog. What really caught my eye was an intriguing short version of her thesis on Factors explaining innovative behaviour of employees. So I embedded the prezi here. Enjoy!

What is innovativeness?

I asked Rolf Jensen (of Dream Company):

What do we actually mean with INNOVATIVENESS?
Can it at all be measured?
What does it take to define a person, a group, a company or a region (city/country) as truly innovative?

Rolf Jensen answered:

Dear Petter Kolseth,
Innovation is used in a lot of ways, I do not believe we can measure it. To me an innovative person/company is one that can put together things or ideas – that other people haven’t thought about. My favourite quote just now is this: “Unless, there is a consensus that it is nonsense what you are doing, it is not a breakthrough” (by Burt Rutan, the guy with SpaceShipOne)