James W. Jorgenson
William Rand Kenan Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus, Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
Qualities of an innovative thinker? Imagination – thinking “outside the box.” This needs to be coupled with good judgment, to weed out the interesting but impractical ideas, which will otherwise dilute your productivity.
Making the most out of your invention… Teaming up with talented and experienced people who can develop, polish, produce and successfully market your invention. A wonderful idea or invention is just a seedling which requires expert assistance to nurture into full bloom.
Picking a problem… Tackle problems that people really need to have solved. Try to avoid developing a solution in search of a problem. Talk to your colleagues, and read the scientific literature broadly, to gain an appreciation of the important problems.
