Creative Synthesis

IdeaConectionhelps companies develop new concepts and engage in research without the necessity of maintaining permanent research and development staff.  Customers present a problem and set a payment amount, researchers who have registered with the site then combine their expertise to find a solution.  IdeaConnection takes a small percentage of the payment, the rest is divided among the team that solved the problem.  As an alternative, the Inventor ThinkSpace feature provides a forum where a company’s own research staff can discuss problems with IdeaConnection participants.

While meeting the business needs of its clients, IdeaConnection also addresses problems of the common good.  Many of the site’s researchers work without charge to find collaborative solutions to these problems; the service then presents any proposed solution under a creative commons license.

By allowing companies to work with contractors on a short-term basis, the site gives smaller organizations access to a experts from a wide range of fields; the Inventor ThinkSpace promotes creativity through collaboration.  The impact of this plan–on both development and the ways in which companies approach staffing–will be interesting.