Where does innovation come from?
We hear the word “innovation” every day, and everyone seems to know what it means. Close your eyes and picture “innovation” - an image probably appears in less than two seconds. But pause for a moment: is that truly your own creative thought, or a reflection of how the world has shaped your idea of innovation? Putting aside the innovations we see in the media, what does innovation look like to those learning to build a more sustainable future through entrepreneurship? Let’s discover how students from the Sustainable Entrepreneurship program imagine their unique innovation concept, from Asia to Africa.
1. When finance-driven innovation can contribute to sustainability
For Owen, innovation means having the courage to build something useful. Of course, like any good plot twist, it has a darker side too. Think about AI, it creates jobs while also taking some away.
Observing and studying innovation, he’s seen how context shapes innovation. In China, the competition is fierce, primarily driven by wealth. Most companies chase economic goals, yet this intensity also speeds up breakthroughs, including sustainability. Clean energy technology is a perfect example: China now stands among the world’s leaders for its renewable capacity.
2. Innovation comes from everyday life
For Karla, innovation isn’t just about robots or flying cars, it’s about new ideas solving old problems, any worth solving ones, but with a clever twist.
Thinking about her experience with innovation, Karla vividly remembers the virtual Effective Altruism conference, especially discussions about food systems, plant-based proteins, and how to reduce animal suffering as meat consumption rises globally. Or her internship at a Tanzanian company researching how households could adopt cleaner cookstoves, producing biochar as a side product for their gardens while earning money from carbon credits. Imagine getting all of those from cooking dinner! The project gave her a strong belief that innovation could be down-to-earth and serve everyday life purposes.
3. It’s okay to bootstrap your “baby” innovation
Born and raised in Vietnam, Holmes observes the unique, vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem around him. Innovation in Vietnam usually originates from necessity and aspiration, more so than from formal systems. This inspires him to look around his environment for potential innovations. Most individuals commence small, made-in-Vietnam businesses that make life better for them.
Entrepreneurship is evident everywhere – from household cafés to high-tech startups in Ho Chi Minh City. While digital transformation and startup ecosystem support are now provided for age policies, much of the initiative continues to arise from individuals who “learn by doing” more so than from instructional schooling.
Innovation in Vietnam, in short, arises from the resilience, resourcefulness, and risk-taking propensity of its people despite their minimal resources.
4. Innovation is sparkling, but let’s face the challenges that come with it!
Tzu Tai is down-to-earth when talking about innovation. Pursuit of marketing fit is the crucial hurdle that often hinders every venture, especially within the startup world. Resources burned, the efforts expended, and the real value offered to clients, it is a process where some elements thrive, yet some others fail. As sustainability accelerates the shift in the business landscape, this challenge intensifies, forcing founders to courageously redefine what future user scenario they intend to sell to the market.
