[Deutsche Fassung]

Have you ever wondered how good ideas come into being? Most people think that a few geniuses sit quietly in their labs and construction offices and are suddenly struck by inspira-tion. In reality, however, these eureka moments are rare. In fact, most inventions are developed with the help of a network. In his book “Where Good Ideas Come From” (which I will present in more detail in other blog entries), Steven Johnson shows that some environments tend to nip new ideas in the bud, while others foster them.

The Intellectual Property & Science division of Thomson Reuters, an international media group, has produced a video in which it documents the development of a new medical drug in order to showcase the network connections which are necessary to develop a usable drug from a good idea – and ultimately save lives. The film demonstrates how scientists, R&D specialists, drug development experts and patent lawyers work together in a fine mesh.

This is only one example. What it shows, however, is that it does not do to rely on accidents to develop marketable products from good ideas. Rather, inventors should heed Thomas Alva Edison, who said: “I never did anything by ac-cident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work.”