Ah, innovation! To break from the old and usher in the new: a new watch or phone, a new battery, a new art form, the next clean energy source, a new potato slicer. The world economy and humankind thrive on innovation. It changes lives and history, it brought the Industrial Revolution, automobiles, electricity, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll and generally delivered us into prosperity. There is a common perception of innovation as some kind of immaculate conception, where mysterious “a-ha” moments are immediately realized as game-changing things of beauty. Ok, sometimes miracles do happen, but more often than not innovation is a long, sweaty march towards fruition. And part of innovation is being able to adapt to change, even if it’s unanticipated or let’s be frank, unwanted.
In this issue of Seaside we attempt to capture some of those game-changers in our midst. From a family farm growing fresh produce, equivalent to 1½ acres of land with 90% less water use, all within a 40-foot refurbished container, to a local company that has brought to market an oxy-hydrogen fuel booster that reliably both increases engine performance and substantially reduces emissions, to a local group of community members and doctors working to build primary health care centres to help solve the Saanich Peninsula’s health care problems. And have you heard of VRX? Stunning simulators; one huge technology toy box! All of these companies have leaders who create a culture that encourages and rewards innovation and risk-taking. However, it’s not as easy as the boss issuing a memo: “We will be innovative.” I know it might sound cliché but it’s a big issue to create mutual respect and trust between co-workers. If you’re working together, it’s really about where each person is coming from, their background and experience, identifying where the hard work is, and what’s valuable that they bring to it. And when you do that, instead of getting the boss telling them what to do, you have people making things together, having ownership together. Better things come out of that.
Just how much innovation can we find in our community? Just look around – it seems almost limitless. Maybe there is something in the B.C. water that brings out the strange mix of dissatisfaction, brilliance and courage that leads our community to try and change the world. Whatever it is, it’s certainly in abundance.
Innovation is not something that can be easily measured; but I think we can all agree that innovation is how new ideas can change our lives.
