In the knowledge economy, greater togetherness is the prerequisite for innovating and having more: selflessness extends scope while selfishness increases limitations. But human beings are not automatically attracted to innovation: between the two lies culture, and cultural values vary widely, with the egoistic accent or the altruistic intonation…

In this article, Piero Formica considers how new approaches to the notion of the university exemplify the value of creative ignorance in driving entrepreneurship and promoting a new culture of innovation based on blue sky science and open-mindedness. He takes the examples of the Minerva Schools, the Unreasonable Institute and the Singularity…

ELSE (E-Learning for the Semantic ECM) is an ontology-based system which integrates semantic search methodologies and e-learning technologies. It has been developed within a project of the CME (Continuing Medical Education) program--ECM (Educazione Continua nella Medicina) for Italian participants. ELSE allows the creation of e-learning courses…

In this article Piero Formica examines the difference between incremental and revolutionary innovation, distinguishing between the constrained "path finders" and the unconstrained "path creators". He argues that an acceptance of "ignorance" and a willingness to venture into the unknown are critical elements in…

The role of universities is changing. In the last century the primary focus of universities was on education and research, with the key goals of creating and diffusing information and knowledge. A third and equally important role is now emerging, with its accompanying expectations and responsibilities -- that of value creation. "Value"…

In this latest in a series of articles on the innovative use of experimental business laboratories for high-expectation entrepreneurs, the authors focus on the networking benefits of business lab experiments. Distinguishing between "Robinson Crusoe" types, whose tendency is to operate in isolation, and "Lemuel Gulliver" types, who rely on…

This paper articulates the opportunity of using an experimental business laboratory approach as a means of accelerating the creation, incubation and testing of new venture ideas. Such a strategy leads to the establishment of a micro-ecosystem of aspiring entrepreneurs and others in a business laboratory environment. The goal is to create a mini…

Incubators are embedded in the culture of the economics of (value-added) services. To date, at least in Europe, they have operated in a manner analogous to the generation of nuclear power; that is, attempting to produce "entrepreneurial energy" through a process of fission that creates a division between the aspiring entrepreneurs'…

Curley and Formica's (2008, 2010) studies of high-expectation entrepreneurship focus on the role of "experimental laboratories" in promoting the start-up and successful development of high-expectation firms. Although it is not difficult to understand the potential usefulness of these experimental labs--business simulators in which skilled partners…

This article responds to "Laboratory experiments as a tool in the empirical economic analysis of high-expectation start-ups" by Martin Curley and Piero Formica, published in the December 2008 issue of "Industry and Higher Education". Curley and Formica introduce a new concept for high-expectation start-ups, involving the use of "laboratory…

This article responds to "Laboratory experiments as a tool in the empirical economic analysis of high-expectation start-ups" by Martin Curley and Piero Formica, published in the December 2008 issue of "Industry and Higher Education." The exploitation of knowledge and experience is increasingly important to companies operating in the globalized…

High-expectation start-ups are firms launched by entrepreneurs with high ambitions for growth. The encounter between new technology and entrepreneurship that characterizes such new ventures has a significant impact on the nature and speed of economic development, driving the growth of high-technology industries and helping to make the economic…

To determine whether teaching an introductory physics course with a traditional lecture style or with Just-in-Time teaching (a student-centered, interactive-engagement style) will help students to better understand Newtonian concepts, such as Newton's Third Law, 222 students in introductory physics courses taught by traditional lecture styles and…

In the "participation age", emerging cross-border, transnational communities driven by innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives--in short, international entrepreneurial communities--give impetus to the rise of international public goods. With varying intensity, a non-voting international mobile public--still a small but an increasing fraction…

The sustained phase of transition to economies characterised by considerable, and sometimes revolutionary, advances in science, technology and related industries, coupled with subsequent profound changes in economy and society, has increased the importance of the knowledge-intensive phases of production for value-creation. As enterprises, in fact,…