AAWSAP DIRD, Maverick Inventor Versus Corporate Inventor: Where Will the Next Major Innovations Arise, March 2010

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UNCLASSIFIED/ fFOA OFFI&IAl WSE 8HL'I
propulsion, in particular aerospace and space propulsion. It is now the case
that new and exotic materials and their dimensions are driving the quality and
quantity of energy and propulsion innovations and preventing the average
inventor from contributing new and useful forms and assemblies. The capital
outlay required to probe the limits of current high technology in search of a
new breakthrough is also beyond the means of the vast majority of lone
inventors. These are the major reasons for the shift in focus from the lone
maverick inventor to the "corporate inventor," the latter being a part of a
large organization.
This paper compares the roles of the maverick inventor who is less
constrained by the strictures of a large organization with those of the
corporate inventor and provides some insight into where to expect required
future innovations in the areas of energy and propulsion.
UNCLASSIFIED//EOR OFEICI CL lal&li 01'11.¥
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