Innovative ideas are important for every society. Innovative ideas or innovations not only solve various problems but also improve lives and lead to better outcomes in many aspects of life. Of course, innovative ideas that bring significant impacts on human lives and society can be generated by many across countries but innovative ideas are underestimated or not given recognition all the time. Consequently, many innovative ideas especially those innovative ideas that have bigger impacts on lives and societies and many of those who innovate ideas remain unrecognized in different countries around the world. This is a clear injustice. Moreover, societies are deprived of the outcomes of innovative ideas or innovations.

Of course, it is undeniable that those countries that recognize innovative ideas or innovations more are more developed in economic, social, technological and other terms. But innovative ideas are usually more recognized in developed and some developing countries that promote innovative ideas or innovations and utilize these to improve different conditions for the betterment of lives and society. Less developed or less resourceful countries usually recognize innovative ideas less, though there is an increased tendency of recognizing such ideas because of the importance of such ideas for lives and society at present. But different developing countries which recognize less than developed countries and some other developing countries recognize and promote innovative ideas or innovations more than less developed countries.

Here, it is important to say something about innovative ideas or innovations. Innovative ideas usually indicate those ideas, methods or technologies that are distinctive/new from the existing ones or that add value to the existing ones. Innovative ideas or innovations are the outcomes of creativity which is the act of channeling imagination into something concrete, lead to the solution of many problems and make many impossible aspects possible. Of course, innovative ideas, which are both processes and outcomes, come from all sections of a society and can be generated in all aspects of life and society. For example, one can generate innovative ideas for solving political, social, technological and other problems. Some innovative ideas have widespread or global impacts, others have national impacts and, still, others have local or more limited impacts, depending on which sorts of ideas are innovated or innovatively created

Of course, there are many social, economic, national interests driven, political and other reasons for the underestimation or negligence of innovative ideas. Some notable reasons are a discriminatory attitude to innovative ideas, an indifference to innovative ideas, an inability to understand great innovative ideas and an inadequate institutional or organizational system to utilize or recognize innovative ideas/innovations. Discriminatory attitude exists not only at the national level but also at the international level. Party affiliation, race, gender and some other aspects influence discriminatory attitudes toward innovative ideas. Different reasons are more prevalent in less resourceful countries, compared to more resourceful countries. Moreover, a lack of or inadequate financial allocation for the promotion, utilization or recognition of innovative ideas is another important reason for the negligence of innovative ideas or innovations in many countries. This reason also exists more in less developed countries.

The negligence to innovative ideas in the transboundary sphere deserves some detail. Of course, the underestimation of innovative ideas or innovation was more present in the past at the transboundary level. Innovative ideas generated in a country were intentionally ignored in other countries because of various reasons including a neglecting attitude toward less resourceful countries, perceived and real superiority of more resourceful countries in many of their societal and intellectual aspects, or a belief that less resourceful countries do not produce great innovate ideas or do not have great innovative ideas generators. But such a mentality has changed considerably because of a significant increase in the opportunities for the communication of innovative ideas among people of different countries. Yet, such a tendency still exists at least somewhat in the transboundary sphere.

Of course, innovative ideas or innovations need to be utilized and recognized as they bring enormous impacts on lives and society. Firstly, the recognition of innovative ideas will bring positive outcomes to those who innovate ideas because it will improve their social status including financial and promote them for more innovative ideas. Secondly, it will encourage others to make innovative ideas. Indeed, many are inspired for innovations due to the recognition of the innovative ideas of others. Thirdly, the utilization and recognition of innovative ideas will bring enormous social benefits because innovative ideas contribute to the advancement of society in a wide range of aspects and improve living standards. No doubt, many innovative ideas foster better living standards and quality of life among people across countries. The utilization and recognition of innovative ideas or innovations are, thus, very important.

Thus, efforts are needed to address the above social, political, transboundary and other aspects of negligence to great innovative/creative ideas or innovations and utilize and recognize innovative ideas or innovations across countries. Of course, the attitude towards those who innovate great ideas or create great innovative ideas needs to be changed across countries and emphasis should be given to the recognition of innovative ideas and/or innovations across countries. But attitudinal change and the recognition of innovative ideas or innovations are needed at the national and international levels. At the national level, great innovative ideas need to be encouraged and recognized regardless of age, gender, cast and political party affiliation. But at the global level, innovative ideas need to be recognized regardless of age, gender, caste, nation and region.

No less important is that awards, an important means of the recognition of innovative ideas or innovations, need to be given for innovative ideas or innovations whenever possible, not only to recognize great innovative ideas across countries but also to encourage innovative idea generation. Among countries, less resourceful countries need to make more efforts. Though they have resource constraints, efforts need to be made to allocate more resources to the recognition of great innovative ideas or innovations that enormously benefit to their own society. But innovative ideas or innovations that have global impacts need to be recognized in the global sphere.

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Magazine, its employees or any other authors. Views published are the sole responsibility of the author(s).

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Amir M Sayem

Amir M Sayem is the Chief Editor of Dhaka Opinion Magazine. He is also an author, researcher and commentator on miscellaneous issues including social, political, environmental, public health and international relations. He writes with an intention to help develop societal conditions across countries.

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