Description
A new model is proposed for innovation based on science and technology, illustrated by a tetrahedron,. The model includes five key actors: Government, Academia, Industry, the Inventor and the Citizen. It is crucial that all actors develop an open collaboration and multiply the exchanges between themselves to promote a climate for inclusive innovation. One original element of the tetrahedron is the recognition of citizen participation, since he/she is, as a consumer, the first one to experience the fallouts (good and evil) of any innovation. Similarly, because of his role in science dissemination, the science journalist must be recognized as an ideal key citizen in the assessment of the social values of any innovation or invention. At the center of this model is the free and universal access to scientific and technological information for all. A critical element of the innovation process, clearly illustrated in the tetrahedron model, is that social responsibility and ethics are the concern of all actors. All actors must be driven by this fundamental spirit, as the ultimate objective of any innovation is to provide, maintain or improve the quality of life for all citizens, an objective which is placed at the summit of the pyramid.