In my 20 years of researching and teaching innovation, one consistent theme stands out: breakthrough innovation often comes from outsiders. To accelerate innovation in healthcare technology we need to give creative people who don’t have traditional health science backgrounds more opportunities to participate.
How to Partner with Outside Innovators in Health Care
Breakthrough innovation often comes from outsiders. To accelerate innovation in healthcare technology we need to give creative people who don’t have traditional health science backgrounds more opportunities to participate. We can unleash innovation by creating ways for people with fresh ideas to access those with the expertise needed to refine or execute them. For example, research institutions could create expertise pools and consortia for sharing intellectual resources, and develop incentives for sharing the physical assets of science such as laboratories and equipment. To foster these new types of collaborations, governments, businesses and research institutions should provide incentives for creating shared laboratories, build public labs designed to help non-scientists participate in science, and create public facilities to help individuals and small organizations navigate the complex and costly clinical testing process. In addition, they should create programs that enable non-linear science careers. With incentives and resources that foster collaboration and more inclusive access, we will see more rapid, efficient and creative progress in healthcare technology innovation.