The Innovationist

Two weeks ago, I attended the PDMA 2010 Global Conference, where innovators gathered and traded tips on the latest in innovation business practices.  Several themes consistently emerged from the various presentations – the emergence of open source ideation, the importance of engaging the customer, and a shift toward business model innovation, to name a few.  Reflecting on the conference, I got to thinking about the business trends that seem to be unfolding.  Innovation is happening not just in product development, but in how businesses are run.  What does the company of the future look like?  Here are 10 predictions for 2020.  Some of these developments are a lready happening on a large scale, others are more esoteric.  Although stemming from things I have read or heard, these predictions are admittedly (un)educated guesses.  If any of these predictions came to fruition, they would undoubtedly bring with them new set of challenges, but I believe that in each case, the opportunity far outweighs the complications.