Monday, December 17, 2007

State of New England

Innovation at the intersection of tech disciplines

By Jim Matheson

You are trying to innovate against a major problem and have tried many of the obvious approaches and find yourself at a crossroads: Which way to turn, left or right? Neither seems likely to provide fresh insights toward solving your problem or creating a new breakthrough. Perhaps it's time to shift your thinking in a different direction, or as we used to say in the fighter pilot world, "go out of plane" (in this case, "plane" is a reference to the 3-D movement of the aircraft to make a maneuver in a nonpredictable manner).

You can either innovate linearly to achieve a breakthrough or come at a problem from a whole new direction. Much of the low-hanging fruit has been picked in the realm of one-dimensional innovations to solve major problems. In fact, in many cases, the next generation of straight-ahead technical advances is limited by the bounds of biology, chemistry or physics. The challenge then is to innovate at the intersection of multiple disciplines to move into a new plane of thinking and explore fresh realms of problem solving.

In many cases, we at Flagship Ventures are seeing the most interesting breakthroughs when two or more previously distinct technologies come together to move problem solving into a new plane of thinking. As a few examples, we see the use of material science and nanotechnology being applied to the challenges of targeted therapeutic delivery, or the use of biology to solve the energy equation via the use of cellulosic or synthetic biofuels. We see the idea of biomimicry applied toward network design and software applications that use genetic algorithms to solve problem sets. We see the combination of hardware, software and therapeutics coming together to provide medical devices aimed at complex health challenges, and we see new software platforms assisting with intricate surgical procedures.

As the limits of Moore's Law -- which states that computing power per dollar doubles about every 18 months -- are being pushed, we see new approaches to computing, including the notion of biological computing being explored. And finally, the Internet continues to change every industry providing a fresh canvas to explore new business models and value chains.

These are just a few examples. Opportunities to innovate at the intersection exist in every arena. Though these solutions are neither immediately obvious nor easy to implement, once unleashed they can yield tremendous breakthroughs and value creation. Key to uncovering these opportunities is to follow the famous Apple Inc. admonishment: "Think different." Look outside your traditional lens of viewing the world by bringing cross-functional groups together to explore non-obvious ways to solve problems. Challenge the trend lines of linear technical progression by looking to other industries for solutions and metaphors to shifting the linearity of these advances. Finally and most importantly, don't be afraid to personally engage in new areas, as you will likely find that your fresh perspective can add much to these explorations.

The good news is that New England is well-positioned for innovation at the intersection. Our vast array of universities and young professionals give us a perennial influx of fresh perspectives. Many cross-functional programs are being launched or already exist to explore the intersections. The HST/BEP Program at MIT, the Harvard Medical School and Harvard Business School joint MD/MBA program, and CSAIL at MIT are just a few of the many labs and organizations that are being set up and managed to pursue cross-functional research and dialogue.

But while we already have a wide variety of companies that are pursuing intersectional innovation, we can -- and must -- do more. Let's not wait for formal programs, but rather look for opportunities to informally bring together unlikely collaborators to explore new areas of thinking. It's an exciting time to be innovating, and I look forward to hearing how you are creating and exploring new dimensions.

Jim Matheson is a general partner at Flagship Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm based in Cambridge. He can be reached at jim@flagshipventures.com.