Innovazione e Insularità: Le Sfide Dell’ Innovazione e Il Loro Legame Con L’ Insularità (Innovation and Insularity: The Challenges of Innovation and their Link with Insularity) was a presentation delivered by IRISS President Bernard Mallia at the Innolabs Conference held in Alghero, Sardenia, on the 18th of May, 2011.
The presentation dealt with insularity and its relevance in an increasingly digital world, the characteristics of insularity, and the link between insularity and innovation. In addressing these core themes, the presentation distinguished between scientific, technological and commercial innovation, tacit knowledge and codified knowledge. It then mapped out the processes through which innovation usually occurs and linked this to economic development in the Solow Model and the post-Solow world. The presentation then went on to highlight the characteristics that distinguish insular islands from other territories that are not themselves insular, following which it proceeded to make the link between key characteristics of insularity and innovation.
The presentation lastly turned to how the challenges delineated could be either managed or turned into advantages by the proper framing of the challenges themselves, investment, conscious efforts to bring about changes in the rules of the game and the implementation of good ideas.