The Kept University

Commercially sponsored research is putting at risk the paramount value of higher education -- disinterested inquiry. Even more alarming, the authors argue, universities themselves are behaving more and more like for-profit companies.

Read the report here.

LIVE BLOG: Open Source Intellectual Property

Resources for today's forum:
1) First Monday - Lessons for Open Source: Intellectual Property and Courseware, Jan Newmarch

In this competitive age, universities are seeking ways to protect their intellectual property, for fear that it might be stolen or used by others without financial benefit coming back to the university. Increasingly, universities are using mechanisms of secrecy to secure their property. This paper argues that this approach is wrong on both moral and business grounds, and that a better model can be found in the Open Source movement of the software industry. Read more here.

Contents: Intellectual Property Ownership by Secrecy/Arguments against Secrecy/Courses aren't just Courseware/Open Source/Copyright/Advantages of Open Courseware/Conclusion

2) Creative Commons License - A non-profit organization devoted to expand the range of creative work available for others legally to build upon and share. Read more.

3) Relax. Let Your Guard Down From Inc.com. Why patents, trademarks, and other intellectual property protections are bad--that's right, bad--for business.

4) The Wikipedia page on Open Source. A guide including definition, history of origin, founding leaders and sectors of application. Go.

Forum start:

Bob Sopko, Director, Strategic Technology Alliance (STA) announces the new wireless canopy for the Case campus. Read more here. The wireless mesh will go from the railroad tracks to the Nottingham Spirk to ---- Q: How can this be extended via local commujnity development organizations? Contact OneCleveland. East Cleveland is also now a part of OneCommunity wireless access.

The Case IT department seeks to strengthen collaborations in University Circle.

Steve Cencula: an entrepreneur in the creative digital industries. Deep background in 3D and visualizations....Steve's business depends on open source access. FORM creates new applications for customers. Steve serves in many support capacities at CIA. How Open Source affects his business profit is the primary purpose. Much of the advancements and releases of IP are made by private industry.

FORM develops online games and often for the purpose of making website experiences stickier and last longer.

FIDO (Fully Integrated Desktop Objects) is a new product FORM has just released. Read the Crain's article here. This application is not appropriate for all content...but can work well for accessing existing content in a more compelling way. This is an interface that is updateable.

FORM also creates a desktop platform that content developed by for example, American Greetings, can change daily. This heightens the experience of the consumer updating automatically. This provides a platform to change experience daily. Another example: the passionate gardener whose desktop may include temperature, bulb ordering information, and gardening tips.

Q: How could this be applied to intranet company applications.

Alot of companies came out with organized desktops. Apple, Yahoo, Google, etc. Fearing being swamped by exceptionalcompetitiopn, FOPRM was hestiant and anxious to release their desktop platform. However, what did happen is that the consumer market became much more savvy about what they value in product. None of the large company products released focused on niche markets and focused experience.

The ability to address bugs in an Open Source environment is huge; so is the opportunity to capitalize on innovation. The benefit of a large community's brainpower is tremendous. Everyone is fairly equal and each has access to accelerating individual innovation. Open Source tends to correct itself and evolve naturally.

FORM as a company encourages failure and bad ideas to accelerate quality solutions quickly. In a myopic organization, a company can spend years going down ultimately failed paths.

There is a dearth of dead wikis and blogs in cyberspace that lack large scale activity. Open Source by definition requires large scale engagement and strong leadership by an individual or a core team consistently responding and communicating.

The test of product and leadership is strength of passion. The ability to spot quality open source material is paramount. Few are making large profit. The larger companies - such as Googel - can afford to share source. How can smaller companies participate this way? Some companies give away operating systems and sell customer suppport. Or, give away limited versions.

"Narcotic marketing" = seed the market and sell suppllies.

Linux - Red Hat - Wikipedia - are examples of powerful mass open support. Google maps is another accessible tool that is open for development and innovations. This provides a new set of tools for communities to drive innovations. Users can find classmates, Italian resturants, etc.

Blipstar uploads google maps based on excel sheets of your stores. This is an open source platform thathas been developed


The "Kept University" is an evolving phenomeon where corporations are becoming more involved in Universities and "guiding" IP development.

Can you open source items, design, architecture? Open Architecture is a new approach to design competition with the requiirement that plans be published.

What is the role of CIA? Is the role - to manufacture ideas - or to become a conduit for new ideas and the release of content.

What is the cost of pursuing patents? Compared to the cost of paying lawyers to protect the patnets? How can we creatively look at an open approach that will be productive?

The i-Pod is a highly closed process from design, material storage and IP. This was not innovative because it was first, etc. but because of the vision of the design team. Innovation can happen in a closed room without a 50 member team...

Q: What do we do with technology from CIA?

Creative Commons - and other variations of licensing - is an elegant solution for the benefits of scale but still protecting the individual rights.

What does it mean to possibly become the first design school to embrace open-source policy regarding Intellectual Property?

What would that mean to industry growth and hiring of students with new product innovations offered publically? This might be a way for CIA to become a hub of innovation. Designs become a brand...

CIA teaches creative problem solving. Will CIA take a leadership in design

Artists build on other artists work.

There is probably not a definitive answer but a hybrid approach.

The Megacommunity Manifesto

Strategy-Business just published its latest Resilience Report.

It talks about the value of building "megacommunities" and describes how these look differently from what we have known before. It also offers rational for why these new directions are important.

I-Open organizes practices and tools to help individuals act entrepreneurially together in this new environment of change.

Download the report here.

More Activity = More Networks = More Innovation

Here's a recipe for success.

Check out what is happening in San Diego this week. Here.

You can sign up for the e-letter for free.

AUDIOBLOG: Ed Morrison on Network Capitalism

Just Released...CFI's AudioBlog "Network Capitalism" with Ed Morrison, Director, I-Open

Wealth creation in the innovation economy is dominated by “network capitalism”, where flexible, adaptive, and connected companies integrate new knowledge with products and services. In contrast with the old “command-and-control” industrial economy, particularly in rural areas, the innovation economy provides abundant opportunities to increase in-flows of outside capital (“good money”), increase velocity of capital circulated among local businesses (“neutral money”) and reduce capital out-flows (“bad money). Through “strategic doing” and civic collaboration, communities can move proactively to participate in the innovation economy and build local and regional wealth.

Listen and learn here.

Capital Formation Institute (CFI) promotes seed and early stage investing and enterprise development discussions.

LIVE BLOG: Design Districts

On Tuesday there was a forum introducing the participants to a Design Area in Cleveland for which an overlay of Cleveland was shown with display areas as well as work and live space for designers. There are no specific boundaries to the area but rather a core. Major stakeholders are being aligned in this project which is quickly moving forward.

What is being asked for is continuing support and assistance in increasing buzz.

Forum comments:
The teaching of Industrial Design in Cleveland is one of the best in the country but there is not connection between teaching and industry.
Dan Cuffaro does more than stir the pot – he breaks the pot and rebuilds.
There is no density in the design industry in Cleveland.
Story: Public Square is not a neighborhood, but Playhouse Square has become one.
People make markets
The Design District is trying to be non-threatening in its development
“Never ask for institutional support – ask for personal support.”
Dan Cuffaro: Setting Cleveland as “next Milan”.
Purpose to identify design identity for the City of Cleveland.
The design culture if it exists is secondary to other activity
Companies such as Rubbermaid, MTD, Royal Appliance, Little tykes, Hoover, Moen, interDesign, Step2, Saeco: major design needs
In cities such as Boston and Chicago with the benefit of a design culture, concentration of talent, and with design treated as strategically important, there is a draw for CIA graduates.
We need to be better at managing the design process.
Cleveland – “sketches by the pound”
There needs to be an understanding of how to use design to connect.
Companies in Cleveland are fearful/worried about losing design talent.
Opportunities: internship programs
“Happy accidents don’t happen in silos”
Out of myth and into markets
To foster creation around a design district something is needed to grease the wheel.
Design award
Model perhaps Merchandise Mart in Chicago but in a more virtual concept. more locations on Euclid Avenue
A central location for putting manufacturers and wholesalers together.
Labor pool: deep locally shallow internationally
The “salmon” view: Clevelanders come home to breed.

LIVE BLOG: Open Discussion

Open Source Economic Development is based on investments in five areas of innovation: Brainpower, Innovation, Quality, Connected Places, Dialogue and Inclusion and Marketing and Branding.

Cindy Barber - Beachland Ballroom
Kevin Cronin - downtown Bike station
Jessica Columbi - Arts Campaign
Daniel Car - Dir NEO Video Initiative
Bob Sopko - STA
Jim Herget - Management theorist for the second curve
Diane Mestelski - FUTURE - Co-ordinator for FUTURE
David Moss - FUTURE
Len Steinbach - Cleveland Museum of Art
Rick Pollack - Nine Sigma

Topics for the Tuesdays@FUTURE. How can the Museum support needs and skills and capabilities?

What are the next steps involved in follow up for the forums? How can each of us follow up?

Up the through put by leveraging the FUTURE website for industrial and product design.

About FUTURE:
Dot Project - php based - will be used the projects that come into FUTURE. To include design blogs.
The biggest challenge at FUTURE Center is the professional partnership program. The incubator offers structured work on-site as well as off site real work activity.

5 projects are required for each student as they go through the curriuclum. Challenging marketing opportunities: many students are niche related...

The Business Advisory Network is an important network being built now. The Professional Partnership is a 16 week session. Research projects are welcome. Relationships are the most valuable outcome of the activities. Through a relationship with the Museum of Art virtual reality content...the sharing of resources accelerates innovation where there is initiative.

Jessica Columbi, Events & Volunteers, of the Arts & Culture Action Committee, (contact: jessicavioletta@gmail.com/216-402-7990) - introduces and reviews the upcoming Arts Levy for the Nov ballot. See the open Forum Discussion on REALNEO.US. The link also contains documentation on the specifics of the campaign. Go here.

The next steps for this forum and attendees is to vote, learn more about the initiative by reading the downloadable documents off of the link above and pass along the information.

Bumper Slogans
"Cuyahoga Arts & Culture Really Smokes", "Rollin on the Numbers for the Arts Tax", Filterless, "Arts Light Up the Region", "Fire One Up for the Arts", "The Unfiltered Truth",

GAMING and SIMULATION
Put together a gaming fund. David Carl. Need to find a pool of money - $500,000 to $2,000,000 - to match.

Reference: The Third Frontier technology grants here.

Ben Caulkins, Pres of the OH Venture Capital fund. Need to raise a fund in the next 90 days in order to qualify for a match.

XBox 360 just came up with a new platform. Train people to use it, test games and play games. Thinking of models...consulting firms came out of this market opportunity. What industry will this start? Is this a whole new start for independent users - grass roots - to start new work?

What gaming can do is very broad spectrum - 3D space is going to broaden...because 3D are the basic tools - where is the next curve on this? The new XBox is pushingnt the next level of games, democratization, programming opportunities, is the venture just simulation and gaming....or is it about getting children to


This is going to be in the forefront in 3 years...what is new and different about this frontier?

The storytelling component that is imbedded in gaming is invaluable.

Harry Potter does with books....XBox does with gaming...UTube does with

Workforce development: Artists, modelers, storytellers, musicians, Case engineering are here...just need the place. These are stories that haven't happened yet...this is the know how...the appliled side...

How do we leapfrog to the innovations? There is a need for alignment. keep the bottom wide...for initiatives that come up what is the gaming/simulation opportunity?

The trend is consumer created content. The technology is powerful enough so that an individual can initiate transformation innovation. Make the new innovations available to the masses and bank the money for advanced innovations.

What is the hook for the VC?
3 minutes, make some money, 40% per year

Where is the No 1 training center to exploit all the angles? XBox for Medical? XBox for kids in hospitals? This will attract Sony...who will provide new software, some new updates, etc. This creates a head of the pack - a skilled knowledge vortex. Find out what there is not a center of gravity for and create the center.

Jumpstart will not go for creative content for funding...but perhaps NORTECH will.

Creating the environment for gaming/simulation here will enable NEO graduates to walk across the street and open up business and fail. There is a need to fail and build. Build social philanthropy.

There is a fertile ground that needs to be created. There is a lack of seed capital and new technology clusters.

Focus on the Diabetes opportunity. Focus on developing the templates, the guides for publishing, where is the first convocation - Case, CIA, Sony - XBox affordable gaming in health...build the momenteum. Teach inner city school kids.

A Small Town Big on Design

Here's a link Dan Cuffaro, Chair, Industrial Design, The Cleveland Institute of Art, sent from MetropolisMag about design and small towns, entitled "In a financial crisis, a small, Swedish town resorts to the business of design." Check it out here.

And another: "Docklands emerges as 'brain gain' capital" - a story about Internet savvy mulitnationals remaking the Irish economy. Read on.

All pretty exciting stuff to build innovation and accelerate brainpower.

798 Dashanzi Art District

The Economist magazine reports that when businesses move out....artists move in. Read on here.

"Dashanzi Art District" (Chinese: 大山子艺术区; Pinyin: Dàshānzi Yìshùqū) is the informal name of a part of Dashanzi in the Chaoyang District of Beijing that houses a thriving artist community, among 50-year old decommissioned military factory buildings of unique architectural style. It is often compared with New York's Greenwich Village or SoHo, but faces impending destruction from the forces driving Beijing's urban sprawl.

Read about leveraging 5000 year old space in Beijing, China. Visit what's going on in 798 Space.

Design and The City of Toronto

Design Review Panels are used successfully by many cities in Canada and internationally to improve the design quality of buildings and public spaces. They exist in the United States in cities such as Boston and Seattle, in England and across Europe. Canadian Design Review Panels include the National Capital Commission in Ottawa and those of the Cities of Vancouver and Montreal. In Ontario, Design Review Panels have been established in the City of Ottawa and Niagara Falls. In Toronto, two independent Design Review Panels have recently been established by the Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) and the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation (TWRC).

Read here for an update on Toronto's Design Review Panel pilot project.

Really Large Commercial Buildings Displaying Design

Here are two mega buildings housing merchandise and design displays:

Merchandise Mart in Chicago: here.

Watch Amsterdam's Aalsmeer Flower Auction Distribution Center in action. Click here.

Coming Up: FringeNYC

The New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC) is the largest multi-arts festival in North America, with more than 200 companies from all over the world performing for 16 days in more than 20 venues – that's a total of more than 1300 performances! FringeNYC generates an atmosphere of extreme excitement, and our energy is contagious!

Learn what cool festivals bring to cities here.

Milan's Biggest Design Trade Show is Bigger Yet

This year's installment of one of the design world's biggest trade shows, the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, held from Apr. 5-10, was larger than ever with 2,550 exhibitors, up from 2,100 last year. The roster featured a slew of fresh new talent, as well as forward-thinking technology from big brands such as Siemens (SI). Added to the mix were inventive experiments by famous designers who usually work in non-furniture arenas, like Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake. Of course, the latest sleek offerings from fashionable furniture labels like Italy's own Kartell were also on view. More than 670 nations were represented.

One of the design highlights was the venue itself -- Fieramilano, a 220,000-square-meter complex in the Rho-Pero district. During the event, about 200,000 visitors passed through the hallways of the recently opened site. It's situated at one of Italy's most innovative architectural destinations, a sprawling, undulating metal-and-fiberglass roof designed by Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas using a complex system of rhomboid and trapezoidal meshlike grid

Business Week Online reports from Milan here.

LIVE BLOG: STRENGTHENING Entrepreneruship Support Services Network

Brad Kleinman presents information about one of NEO's investments in the entrepreneurship support services industry.

Visit BSK Consulitng here. Brad is an entrepreneur who has started several businesses.

The Corporate College offers several different curriculums and tools. Wiki's offer collaborative platforms for online work. MindManager and 80/20 principle.

Cuyahoga College mission = growing NEO's Economy one company at a time.

Key Entrepreneurship Development Center offers a wide variety of curriuclum, programs and event planning.

On Sept 27th CC will present FASTTRAC curriculum primarily targeted toward young entrepreneurs. New, growth and tech ventures are addressed in a 10 week session. A key focus area is in technology.

A major focus is Collegiate Entrepreneurship via Entrepreneurs on the Cuyahoga.

A partnership between Corporate College and Case is a program will focus on engineering and management.

The eShow - smart tv for Smart Entrepreneurs, first Wed of every month for 30 minutes and includes podcasting

Back burner project: Game Show for Entrepreneurship

Other projects include upcoming partnerships and collaborations with the City, Chambers, Universities and Colleges, BusinessWire, Six Sigma Conference, WECO Fund, Grow Cuyahoga County Fund, COSE

Questions:

Q: What is a recurring point of barrier with entrepreneurs?
A: Lack of money is a recurring point; Seed captial is rare in NEO. We need to begin thinking about how to create multiple options that combine seed and micro financing, resources, access to software and capabilities. NEO lacks an Angel Network.

August 4, 2006 - The Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) released a request for proposals (RFP) for funding awards under the Third Frontier Project's Pre-Seed Fund Initiative. The purpose of the Pre-Seed Fund Initiative is to meet the need for early stage capital through the establishment of professionally managed, pre-seed capital investment funds to Ohio start-up technology companies primarily in the imagining and incubating stages. Read more
here.

Youngstown facility focuses on keeping entrepreneurs from locating their new companies in high-tech hotspots by offering lower business costs. Read more here.

Why not declare NEO as the entrepreneurship center of the world?

LIVE BLOG: Creative Industries Networks

Attendees includes real estate commercial development with an interest in urban development, entrepreneurship services, the creative industries, technology, law, fashion design, energy, the Museum of Natural History, manufacturing, social science, and human resources.

COSE Arts Network includes initiatives focusing on the arts incubator for ethnic arts, role playing for building honest relationship development, cultural institution development, operations professsional in manufacturing and process improvement, energy efficient housing, arts faculty, Cleveland Art Association

I-Open is based on open source development technology - sharing brainpower and building on the lessons learned for all.
How do you measure effectiveness? Social network anaylsis is one measurement tool for the second curve economy. Cleveland is home to Valdis Krebs, a global thought leader in social network analysis software and services. Learn more about InFlow here.

COSE Arts Network information - Abby Maier, forum leader

Creative industries have a significant impact on the regional economy. There are about 4,000 artists in NEO. Our region is known for rich arts assets...with a shift in funding, new questions arise. How can the region continue to support the arts industry inNEO? What can be done to further support the entrepreneurs? The partnership between CPAC and COSE started with a conversation between the directors and discovered many common needs. Artists are typically individual entrepreneurs working on their own. The solution: THE ARTIST AS AN ENTREPRENEUR - a program to support artists with the general business services.

These efforts will integrate artists networks with the businesses in NEO. Officical start of the ArtsNetwork in March 06'. Next meeting to look at IP development. An Arts Roundtable is starting to exchange new ideas and connect. COSE helps with supporting artists who want to exhibit at trade shows. Lots of other additional services and programs for artists. Stay connected to the website for upcoming information. New ideas forthcoming to take a closer look at the health insurance opportunity.

Q: What challenges do musicians have - or other artists - acquiring health insurance?
A: There is no difference in the needs of artists for health insurance from any other industry.

50 members of the arts network. 120 people signed up for the newsletter. 20,000 readership for the newsletter that is distributed by COSE.

The Arts Network is just beginning. It is a membership based organization that also strives to build collaborations. Here are some developing benefits:

Strength in numbers: group buying
Marketing tool: software tool access
Getting artists to take advantage of the tools and services that COSE offers
Energy saving program
Workers comp
Educational programming: a model - the artists entrepreneurs program...bring back topics
Start new and additional roundtables
Accessibility to work

Q: How does this benefit artists who do not have income and access to cash?...Dan Cufaro teaches a class on artists and business development.

Comment:
There are three things needed for a successful initiative:

Great product
Administration
Connecting with customers

Q: How is COSE helping artists to connect to customers?

A: There is a large gap between ethics and art...artists have a wide range of needs...
Get the word out about the efforts of the COSE network and contact Abby...get more people involved who understand these areas of development...

Q: What is the immediate short term goal? A: Membership development and service offerings.
Q: Can you identify the top ten leaders of the current Arts Network?