When we think of champions of manufacturing today we tend to think of some of the big companies such as IBM, 3M, Johnson & Johnson, P&G and Dow Chemical. But companies don’t form themselves, and patents don’t automatically mean innovation – people do.
Not all companies have inventors. However, all companies can, and probably do, have innovators.
An invention is a product or process that has been created and then documented legally. There are many patents granted and then nothing is done with them. But innovation is how a patent or idea is put to use. And connecting people with the opportunity to innovate is key.