Confused about Innovation? Here are some helpful tips!

Helpful tips

Sometimes, innovation gets confused with just accomplishments, inventions, entrepreneurship and even creativity.

In its simplest terms, creativity is coming up with a fresh idea for a solution. Innovation is implementing the solution.

Innovation is as simple as 1,2,3...

1. Is it new or different (Does it solve a problem, meet a need or unmet need, or is it the first of its kind)

2. Has it been implemented?

3. Does it fall on the Innovation Continuum?

Simply, innovation develops new value through solutions that meet needs in new ways. These can be new needs, existing needs, old customer needs or unarticulated needs.

Also, see our clarification of terms for a better understanding of innovation, and remember these important facts:

• Today, every sector - education and government, business and industry, and the non-profit community - has to be innovative;
• Technology is often linked with innovation, but it is not a requisite;
• Remember, anyone can be an innovator!

The Do's and Don'ts of a Quality Nomination

A simple way to submit a quality nomination is to make sure that you cover the following four points in the appropriate questions:

1. Did you get to the point within the first three sentences to inform the Reviewers of the innovation? As part of this question, a hundred - word biography is sufficient to describe the nominee.
2. Did you distinguish this nomination as a new and different idea?
3. Did you include details about the implementation of the innovation including when it was implemented and where?
4. Did you discuss how this innovation benefits either Northwest Indiana, the state, nation or world?

There is only one don't. Don't spend time discussing the many accomplishments that makes the nominee a great person. Using descriptive adjectives about the nominee is meaningful only if the nominee advances to the next level as a candidate. Use the space to clarify the innovation.

Remember, Nominations are only accepted online!

You can easily nominate an individual and/or project team. Remember, you can make as many nominations as you wish.

Click the appropriate links in the navigation bar to the left: remember to get your nomination number for each nomination.