Radical innovation: Unlocking the future of human invention

Innovation in manufacturing has crawled since the 1950s. That's about to speed up. Using a combination of imagination and technology, science tech company Nanotronics aims to revolutionize the factory floor so that industries can have a smaller factory footprint, produce less waste, and rapidly increase the speed from R&D to production—it's this very philosophy that allowed Nanotronics to pivot and manufacture ventilators as a rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lessons learned live

In this webinar, you'll learn:

• Why non-invasive breathing devices are in demand and how they can improve patient outcomes
• About the innovative features of Nanotronics' bi-level breathing device
• How excessive outsourcing can stymie internal innovation and expertise
• Why we need to rethink the association between low-cost products and low-cost labor
• About the potentially positive impacts of Artificial Intelligence
• How to think about A.I. as an opportunity, rather than a threat
• How U.V. lighting can be used not only to disinfect surfaces, but to disinfect the atmosphere via air filtration systems
• How customer needs drive the innovation cycle at Nanotronics
• Why Mr. Putman pursues all innovation with a sense of urgency
• How to think about which ideas to optimize when experimenting
• Why you should not be intimidated by high-tech requirements for innovation
• About the unique challenges and benefits of collaborating in a virtual environment
• How to think about improving remote collaboration with both humans and robots
• How to think about innovation in terms of macro-level vs. micro-level failure

From the audience Q&A:

• Why Nanotronics could be a great partner for innovators who are making physical products and starting from scratch
• Why greater precision in innovation means less waste; decision rules for reducing waste; essential questions for reexamining traditional approaches to reducing waste, like recycling
• Why Mr. Putman thinks of Universal Basic Income as a potential step in the right direction toward a more abundant future, but not as an end step in itself
• How space exploration serves an important inspirational purpose
• Why planet-based innovation serves humankind's more immediate needs
• Why you don't have to be Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk to have an enormous impact as an innovator, and how to think about your work in terms of obligations and responsibilities
• How the patent system helps Nanotronics organize their ideas and why innovators should not let the system slow them down from starting to build

In this Big Think Live session, presented by BMO Financial Group, Matthew Putman, scientist, musician, and CEO of Nanotronics, and Peter Hopkins, co-founder and president of Big Think, will open a window to the future. Learn how manufacturing disruption will accelerate innovation in a multitude of industries, why impact over profit should be a guiding star for leaders, and watch Putnam settle this question once and for all: Is AI a homicidal, job-devouring nemesis?

WATCH THE STREAM VIA:

Big Think+ | YouTube | Facebook

Thanks to our partner BMO Financial Group.

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