The Agenda Setters: 3M VP says 'no innovation, no future'

Businesses must foster a culture of radical innovation if they are to succeed in the twenty-first century.

That's according to Dr William Coyne, senior VP of research at one of the world's most pioneering companies - 3M.

In an exclusive Agenda Setters interview with Silicon.com, Coyne said: "Without innovation there is no future."

3M, which invented sandpaper and Post-it notes, allows its employees to spend 15 per cent of their working time on their own projects. This is coupled with a culture that tries not to put limits on research.

Coyne said that one ground-breaking technology the company is currently exploring is organic electronics - the use of organic compounds for manufacturing semiconductors.

"Lots of technologies such as computer chips are inorganic, but in the future these technologies will be organic, to complement the inorganic sensitive materials. Because of their flexibility and robust nature, organic electronics can be used instead," he said.

You can watch the full interview with William Coyne in the Java/Developer Channel (http://www.silicon.com/a37168 ).