Remember the old proverb 'none of us is as smart as all of us'? It's something a small group of companies took to heart earlier this year, setting up GreenXchange for sharing of intellectual property for green product design. The initiative is hosted by Creative Commons, with Nike and Best Buy leading the way.
With GreenXchange, companies can not only share research, innovation and design amongst themselves, but can also make patents available to the public. Each contributor to the exchange commits to a non-assertion pledge, which allows the patent to be used in other research for green product design. GreenXchange recognises that green innovations can be shared across a variety of industries, often with a different purpose, and will not necessarily pose a threat in terms of competition. If a company is concerned about sharing product design with competitors, they can opt to designate selected patents to be made available for sustainability uses. GreenXchange also aspires to use technologies that support networking and knowledge sharing to promote open innovation in the 'digital commons'.
If it works, the concept could greatly accelerate the development of green innovation, helping some of the world's best brands work together toward the same goal, and start to think differently in terms of how they share ideas. (Related: Online library of green building materials.)
Contact: science@creativecommons.org
Website: www.sciencecommons.org/projects/greenxchange
Spotted by: Jenny Lau
Jenny,
Thanks for posting this! What a great example of collaborating for the common good, breaking away from market structures of competition.
Samantha
Shared innovation equals more innovation and it's inspiring to see more corporations recognizing the opportunity to not only affect their bottom lines, but positively impact the greater good as well.
As Jenny states above, it also show recognition on the part of these corporate entities of the true power of these open, connected platforms, a departure from the methods of doing business in the past. And this is important because it allows a diversification of knowledge and a lowering of the bar to participation, two keys to speeding better practices.
I also appreciate the fact that these solutions have implications beyond the business world, with potential applications for institutions and communities.
Excellent stuff. Thanks.
-MC
http://www.scribd.com/moulicohen