Presentation made at the Hindustan Institute of Engineering and Technology, Chennai during the Innovation Awards

1. IMPORTANCE OF INNOVATION
AND ROLE OF ENGINEERS IN
THE SOCIETY

2. What is Innovation?
Innovation is the application of new ideas to the products, processes, or
other activities that lead to increased “value.” This “value” is defined in
a broad way to include higher value added and also benefits to
consumers.
 Product innovation: A new product, or significant change in an existing
product.
 Process innovation: A new process for making or delivering goods and
services.

3. What is Innovation?
 Innovation = theoretical + technical + commercial
conception invention exploitation
 Innovation is the management of all the activities involved in the process
of idea generation, technology development, manufacturing and marketing
of a new product or service.

4. Why is innovation becoming important?
 Technology is changing fast, new products come from new competitors
 Fast changing environment, product lifecycles, replace products sooner
 Products are increasingly difficult to differentiate
 Customers are sophisticated, demanding, want customization, quality/price
 New technologies no-one understands
 Markets forming and changing fast
 Continual pressure to deliver new/better products, processes and services

5. Cheap!!
3D printed prosthetic arm
with standard commercial gears:
Costs $250 vs. $80,000 commercial model
Designed & produced by 17 year old ( S o u r c e : G i z m a g )

6. MinuteKey—99.6%
accurate

7. Tesla Auto Factory
Robotics, new tech & materials & new business
model reduced time from first design to
product from the traditional 5 years to 2 years

10. Role of Engineer in Society
 Engineers are essentially problem solvers, creators and innovators
 Use fundamental knowledge of science to design/build/adapt
 Have opportunity to make decisions/solve problems for benefit of
society
 Create new products/services to help the mankind lead better life
 Create infrastructure on which other solutions can be built
 Make products available to people at Bottom of Pyramid
 Society improves through access to these new products/services

11. Characteristics required
 Ethics
 Frugal
 Safety
 Reach the masses
 Reusability
 Current technologies

12. Where to focus?
 Infrastructure
 Transportation
 Agriculture
 Logistics
 Automotive
 Aerospace
 Manufacturing
 Services
 Distribution
 Waste Management
 Sanitation
 Power and Water

13. Thanks for your attention