Presentation Title: De-Babelizing the Language of Innovation

Abstract: By considering the language of innovation clarification is offered on the different dimensions associated to innovation and why the competing terminology associated with innovation often creates more confusion than clarity. A better understanding of assessing and exploiting innovation is offered through a framework that recognizes the critical characteristics of innovation and differences in perspective. Examples are given to assist theoreticians is assessing the important contextual factors and to help practitioners in determining how to better exploit opportunities and minimize threats.

Biography: Dr. Jonathan Linton is the Power Corporation Professor in the Management of Technological Enterprises at the Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa. Dr. Linton is the editor-in-chief of Technovation: the International Journal of Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Technology Management and the Director of the Emerging Technologies and Innovation Management Laboratory at the Telfer School. He also is on the Editorial Boards of IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management and Technological Forecasting and Social Change and was formerly on the Faculty of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Brooklyn Poly. He has published over one hundred articles in academic and practice-oriented journals. Dr. Linton's research focuses on the challenges to operations associated to emerging technologies and innovation.

Prior to entering academe, Dr. Linton consulted for a number of years and was an advanced manufacturing engineering at Ford Electronics Manufacturing. He has consulted to a variety of firms and governments in North America and Europe on issues related to the management and integration of technology. While Dr. Linton's research and work focuses on management of technology, he is still a registered Professional Engineer.