Who Does Innovation Belong To? Can We Create Innovation Without Borders?

When I read that a recent survey revealed that U.S. residents are unsure about the country's ability to remain a top innovator and the U.S. government needs to take steps to ensure its leadership, I worry.

And although I do agree with many U.S. residents that say that "other countries provide a more innovation-friendly environment", I'm concerned when I hear statements that report that just 13% think "that the U.S. will remain the most innovative country and therefore the global economic leader." I'm especially concerned when Innovation is used in the same sentence as Global Economic Leader but that's a topic for another day.

Then when I hear that the Consumer Electronics Association's (CEA) Innovation Checklist urges Congress to consider the following (The survey was sponsored by the CEA after all);

• Does this bill create American jobs?
• Does this bill encourage the best and brightest to come to the U.S.?
• Does this bill promote U.S. exports?

I really worry.

Not because the US is/could get left behind but because Innovation should not spur protectionism, it should go beyond borders to foster Innovation for this Planet and all of it's citizens.

We are already deep underway in a protectionist movement with "Buy American" that is both alienating other countries, such as Canada in which there is a movement for an unofficial boycott of US products and China which is developing it's own Nationalistic "Buy China" program.

Lest we think that Innovation belongs to well-to-do nations or even the brilliant minds emerging (no pun intended) from the emerging markets, however the ideas that create and foster Innovation are Universal. Innovation cannot be created within the confines of geographic or ideological borders.

If the global bubble and now the global recession has taught us nothing, we should at least keep in mind how intertwined the cause and effect relationship between developed and undeveloped nations is. Innovation does not belong to any one Nation and it should seek to support all citizens across the world equally.

Instead of the U.S. concentrating on who's the better/bigger Innovator in the schoolyard, the US should focus on the fact that when survey respondents were asked whether they believed the U.S. educational system was the most equipped in the world to develop innovation leaders during the next 30 years, 73% said they somewhat or strongly disagreed.