Back to the future

NATO Review offers expert opinion, analysis and debate on security issues. What is published in this magazine does not necessarily represent the official position or policy of member governments, or of NATO

 

Back to the future: innovating in times of uncertainty and disruption

Lawrence Aronhime, Alexander Cocron

How do innovators get better at anticipating and preparing for problems in the future? Most innovation efforts focus on problems in the present — ones that are easy to identify and thus to justify investing in (e.g. how do we make an airplane fly higher, or faster, or with fewer carbon emissions?) But focusing on the present can leave us unprepared for problems that may come in the future. It is equally valuable for innovation efforts to look beyond the present and to prepare for disruptions yet to come.

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