National innovation: the role of attitude

Here in Taiwan people often have a perception that Taiwan is "small." When I hear this, I usually mention that Taiwan's population is 400 percent bigger than my own country, Scotland. That's right, four times more people live in Taiwan than in Scotland. (Incidently, both countries are feeling the pain of one of capitalism's more self-destructive by-products: rapidly aging -- and shrinking -- populations, but that's another story in itself.)

Attitude is everything in innovation. The right attitude or "mindset" is crucial for success whether it is at the level of the individual, the firm, the region or the nation (I learned that from a Donald Trump e-mail). Look at Singapore, tiny. Israel, it's small too. Belgium, not the biggest place on earth. You get the point.

Here's an interesting presentation from Charles M. Vest,
President Emeritus of MIT, on innovation and its importance to the United States.