When innovation comes in the plural

The days when major innovations were born in garages, driven by the imagination of a single individual, are almost a thing of the past.  In today’s era of internationalization and connected technologies, the challenges facing us are increasingly complex, systemic and too complicated to be solved by individuals alone.  Innovating today means engaging in dialogue, connecting with others, and seeking out complementary expertise, sometimes even on the other side of the world.

Perhaps it is time to reconsider the famous adage, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”  In many cases, working collaboratively is the fastest way to get things done.  By sharing knowledge, comparing ideas and combining resources, innovation can become more effective, relevant, and impactful.

Innovation is no longer created in isolation. Rather, it emerges from the crossroads of expertise, sectors, and real-world situations.  This concept of decompartmentalization and collaboration is what we now refer to as open innovation.

Open Innovation: Shaping the Future of ÉTS

As a university of technology, ÉTS trains engineers to work in complex environments where collaboration is no longer the exception, but the norm.  Industries, startups, public sectors, and research communities are all interacting more closely together, making open innovation not just a mode of collaboration, but a genuine working framework.

This approach provides an opportunity to compare knowledge, test concrete solutions, and build lasting bridges between research, development and implementation.  It can also bring up some important questions, especially when it comes to intellectual property: How can we share knowledge without diminishing its value?  How can we protect knowledge all the while promoting its dissemination?  These questions challenge us to rethink traditional models in order to reconcile openness, responsibility, and the creation of collective value.

Open Innovation, Open Science and Access to Knowledge

Open innovation echoes the principles of open science, which is an important part of ÉTS’s Strategic Plan. Democratizing and encouraging access to knowledge, promoting the dissemination of knowledge, and supporting more accessible research is critical to increasing the social, scientific and technological impact of innovation.

With this in mind, ÉTS is committed to strengthening collaboration between its research units and laboratories, supporting the creation of new groups—as evidenced by the recent creation of itechsanté—and developing ecosystems capable of responding to concrete challenges in close partnership with its stakeholders.  Innovation is no longer confined to bringing about technological advances, but also to maximizing its impact by facilitating its adoption, dissemination, and collective use.

A Real-Life Example: Open Innovation Day

It was in this spirit that Centech organized an Open Innovation Day on February 3 at the Ax.c hub.  By bringing together established companies, tech startups, and other stakeholders in the ecosystem, the event provided a forum for discussion around real issues and emerging solutions.  It was a unique opportunity to better understand how collaborations are structured, how expertise is shared, and how innovation is collectively implemented, beyond conventional silos.

By becoming part of this movement, ÉTS is reaffirming its commitment to contributing to more open, collaborative, and accessible innovations, consistent with its academic mission and strategic plan, which is grounded in reality and focuses on real-world benefits for society.