When it comes to writing in-depth, daily stories about the business of high technology—in tech, life sciences, and beyond—we at Xconomy believe there are few news organizations that can match our editorial team. We feature many of these stories—and the people behind them—at our events as well. Now, right here in Boston and also in … Continue reading “Xconomy Is Seeking Great Sales People in Boston and San Francisco”
Author: Robert Buderi
Bob is Xconomy's founder and chairman. He is one of the country's foremost journalists covering business and technology. As a noted author and magazine editor, he is a sought-after commentator on innovation and global competitiveness. Before taking his most recent position as a research fellow in MIT's Center for International Studies, Bob served as Editor in Chief of MIT's Technology Review, then a 10-times-a-year publication with a circulation of 315,000. Bob led the magazine to numerous editorial and design awards and oversaw its expansion into three foreign editions, electronic newsletters, and highly successful conferences. As BusinessWeek's technology editor, he shared in the 1992 National Magazine Award for The Quality Imperative.
Bob is the author of four books about technology and innovation. Naval Innovation for the 21st Century (2013) is a post-Cold War account of the Office of Naval Research. Guanxi (2006) focuses on Microsoft's Beijing research lab as a metaphor for global competitiveness. Engines of Tomorrow (2000) describes the evolution of corporate research. The Invention That Changed the World (1996) covered a secret lab at MIT during WWII. Bob served on the Council on Competitiveness-sponsored National Innovation Initiative and is an advisor to the Draper Prize Nominating Committee. He has been a regular guest of CNBC's Strategy Session and has spoken about innovation at many venues, including the Business Council, Amazon, eBay, Google, IBM, and Microsoft.
The Healthcare Summit 2014: The Photos
It was a beautiful, brisk fall day last Tuesday at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, MA. Xconomy took over the entire museum for the day for our second, invitation-only Healthcare Summit. The day featured a series of chats and interactive panels with leaders from around the country in everything from genomics to … Continue reading “The Healthcare Summit 2014: The Photos”
Ireland Notebook: A Look at National Labs and Research Centers
A main challenge facing Ireland as it seeks to remain competitive in a global economy is its ability to be more than a tax haven or place for low-cost manufacturing and call centers—especially when other nations are offering stiffer competition at this low end of the innovation spectrum. One critical way to do this is … Continue reading “Ireland Notebook: A Look at National Labs and Research Centers”
New Cubist CEO Joins Our Healthcare Summit Nov. 18—Get Your Invite
We’ve got two big announcements for our annual Xconomy Healthcare Summit, which is coming up on November 18 here in the Boston area. The first is that incoming Cubist Pharmaceuticals CEO Rob Perez has joined the lineup. I will be doing a keynote chat with him to discuss his views on Cubist, infectious diseases, and … Continue reading “New Cubist CEO Joins Our Healthcare Summit Nov. 18—Get Your Invite”
Innovation in Ireland: Overview to Xconomy’s Special Report
Until earlier this October, the only time I had visited Ireland was in April of 1989, on the World B. Tour. A group of American former collegiate basketball players came to the Emerald Isle on a hoops tour, taking part in an international tournament outside Dublin and playing exhibition games against Irish all-stars and holding … Continue reading “Innovation in Ireland: Overview to Xconomy’s Special Report”
Who Knew? Fun Facts About Boston Innovators—the Slide Show
They fly. They sing. They build. They race. They played professional basketball, were nationally ranked fencers and rock climbers. They perform on stage with Yo-Yo Ma, and collect America’s Cup yachts. It’s no surprise that the entrepreneurs, CEOs, angels, VCs, inventors, and other members of the Boston innovation community Xconomy covers every day are pretty … Continue reading “Who Knew? Fun Facts About Boston Innovators—the Slide Show”
The Second Xconomy Boston Healthcare Summit: Request An Invitation
A lot has happened in healthcare over the past year. For starters, Healthcare.gov, the federal website for buying insurance under the Affordable Care Act, has gone up, crashed and burned, and been resurrected. For many, so has the possibility of affordable healthcare for the masses. For many others, not so much. Meanwhile, though, digital health … Continue reading “The Second Xconomy Boston Healthcare Summit: Request An Invitation”
Olin College President Rick Miller on Reengineering Engineering
[Corrected, 9/26/14. See below] Every day in business, we hear how technology is disrupting the old guard. Uber disrupts the cab industry. Airbnb disrupts hotels, and so on. And in education, MOOCs (massively open online courses) are supposedly upending education. But let’s take the case of education. What about non-technology disruptions? What about new ways … Continue reading “Olin College President Rick Miller on Reengineering Engineering”
Moneyball Meets Sales and Marketing: Tips from Two Masters
Moneyball has come to sales and marketing. I’m trusting you know about the revolution that hit baseball due to the arrival of sophisticated data and analytics—and if you don’t, well, read Moneyball by Michael Lewis. It shouldn’t be a surprise, in any case, to hear that the same type of data-mining and number-crunching that turned … Continue reading “Moneyball Meets Sales and Marketing: Tips from Two Masters”
Xconomy Launches in Raleigh-Durham—10th Cluster in Our Network
Innovation, North Carolina style—at last. Ever since writing the original Xconomy business plan, I’ve been looking forward to the day when we began covering innovation in the Tar Heel state. Now, I am extremely happy to announce, that day has come. Xconomy Raleigh-Durham is officially off the ground, and with its launch we have grown … Continue reading “Xconomy Launches in Raleigh-Durham—10th Cluster in Our Network”
Expansion of Microsoft Research—Analysis and Download of 1997 Plan
“We are about to embark on a nearly unprecedented adventure—expanding Microsoft’s investment in research by at least a factor of three.“ So begins the May 1997 memo written by Nathan Myhrvold, architect of Microsoft Research (MSR), a little over five and a half years after the renowned research organization was created. The memo, labeled Microsoft … Continue reading “Expansion of Microsoft Research—Analysis and Download of 1997 Plan”
Innovation Beers: 8 Great Tasting, Low ABV Brews
Summer is (gleefully for me) upon us. As the heat rises, innovators need fuel of all types—but perhaps most especially the beer type. At least that’s the way I see it. But not all beers fit the mold, so to speak, for what I have in mind: to be innovation beers, they need to be … Continue reading “Innovation Beers: 8 Great Tasting, Low ABV Brews”
Cubist Wins FDA Approval for New Antibiotic Aimed at Skin Infections
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new Cubist Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CBST]]) antibiotic targeting a variety of skin infections, most notably those caused by the so-called MRSA bacteria, which has been named a serious public health threat by the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a Cubist announcement. More specifically, … Continue reading “Cubist Wins FDA Approval for New Antibiotic Aimed at Skin Infections”
Dean Kamen: Coptering In to Inspire Crowd at Boston 2034 on June 10
Xconomy’s big Boston 2034 conference is barely a week away. A continent of amazing speakers will be on hand, but one of those you will find most inspirational is Dean Kamen. Among the legendary inventor’s key messages, which I think will ring particularly true to those in Boston’s innovation community: those who are the most … Continue reading “Dean Kamen: Coptering In to Inspire Crowd at Boston 2034 on June 10”
Just a Few Slots Left for Napa Summit June 3—Request An Invite
We are just under two weeks away from the Napa Summit 2014: The Xconomy Retreat on the Economy, Jobs, and Growth. It is one of our most special events of the year. Not only does it have an incredible speaker lineup, it is multidisciplinary, offering a rare chance to step out of your zone of … Continue reading “Just a Few Slots Left for Napa Summit June 3—Request An Invite”
Check Out Our Napa Summit Agenda—Get Your Invite for June 2-3 Event
It’s one of the most special events Xconomy holds—an invitation-only confab in the Napa Valley for roughly 80-90 special guests and speakers. And the Napa Summit 2014, set for June 2-3, is shaping up to be our best ever. We have a power-packed array of speakers, from pioneers in their fields to some of the … Continue reading “Check Out Our Napa Summit Agenda—Get Your Invite for June 2-3 Event”
Xconomy Surveys Innovation in the Sacramento-Davis Corridor
As Xconomist Bob Metcalfe has said, “Invention is a flower. Innovation is a weed.” What better place for the weed of innovation to grow than in the fertile region around the California capital of Sacramento, and, especially, nearby University of California at Davis, one of the premier agricultural research institutions in the world? In fact, … Continue reading “Xconomy Surveys Innovation in the Sacramento-Davis Corridor”
Get a Window on the Innovation Future at Boston 2034 on June 10
It’s gotten to be an easy rant—chastising entrepreneurs for not thinking big enough. But that’s plain wrong, especially in the Boston area. New England visionaries have long been tackling some of the world’s biggest problems. Among the efforts underway: Providing clean water for the developing world Bringing Internet connectivity and advanced educational tools to children … Continue reading “Get a Window on the Innovation Future at Boston 2034 on June 10”
4 Weeks Until Our Napa Summit on June 2-3–Request Your Invitation
We all know it’s important to get out of our boxes at times. By taking in new ideas from leaders outside of our own fields, we can return to face day-to-day challenges with fresh perspective and energy. Sometimes getting out of the box also means getting out of our comfort zones. But sometimes it’s better … Continue reading “4 Weeks Until Our Napa Summit on June 2-3–Request Your Invitation”
Announcing Napa Summit 2014: Get An Invite to Xconomy’s Elite Confab
For the past two years, Xconomy has held an invitation-only event in the heart of California wine country with a general focus on the economy, emerging technology, competitiveness, and jobs—and spanning the range of topics we cover, from information technology to life sciences, healthcare, energy, cybersecurity, food, and much more (read on). We convene some … Continue reading “Announcing Napa Summit 2014: Get An Invite to Xconomy’s Elite Confab”
Observations From Korea’s Creative Economy 2013 Conference
Innovation is one of those goals that transcends borders. Spurring technology innovation, and through it the creation of new industries that accelerate job growth, is always high on the agenda of any advanced economy. But what if you had to change the culture of an entire nation at the same time? That’s a major part … Continue reading “Observations From Korea’s Creative Economy 2013 Conference”
Xconomy Launches in Wisconsin: Innovation Isn’t Something We Fly Over
There are no flyover zones in the United States. That’s the way Xconomy views the map, anyway, because we see innovation happening all over America. So it is with great pleasure that today we are launching Xconomy Wisconsin, the ninth hub in our growing national network. It is our third launch this year—after Boulder-Denver and … Continue reading “Xconomy Launches in Wisconsin: Innovation Isn’t Something We Fly Over”
Former MIT President Charles Vest Dead of Cancer at 72
[Updated, Dec. 14, 2013–see below] Charles Vest, one of the leading contemporary figures of higher education, engineering, and science, and an early friend of Xconomy, has passed away. He was 72, and the cause was cancer, according to an announcement from MIT. Chuck, as most people called him, was the down home, congenial president of “the … Continue reading “Former MIT President Charles Vest Dead of Cancer at 72”
Alexis Borisy to Lead George Church Chat at Our 12/12 Health Event
We’re getting very excited about our upcoming Healthcare Gets Personal event, which will take place this Thursday afternoon at Google’s offices in Kendall Square. And the event keeps getting better (see agenda here): Third Rock Ventures’ Alexis Borisy is joining the event to moderate the keynote chat with pioneering Harvard genomics scientist and entrepreneur George … Continue reading “Alexis Borisy to Lead George Church Chat at Our 12/12 Health Event”
The Future of Microsoft Research: One on One With New Boss Peter Lee
How do you help invigorate the Microsoft machine? Well, for Peter Lee, the answer lies in the frontiers of computer science. Lee is the new managing director of Microsoft Research, the company’s global research arm. His job is to help his parent company, not always quick on the uptake with emerging technology, understand the latest … Continue reading “The Future of Microsoft Research: One on One With New Boss Peter Lee”
Healthcare Gets Personal: George Church to Keynote Our Dec. 12 Event
Say what you want about Obamacare, aka the Affordable Care Act. Innovation is coming fast to healthcare—and it’s increasingly bringing the power of technology right down to the individual. Whether it’s super-crunching your genome, the latest fitness apps or wearables, or new therapeutic games (yes, games that make you healthier), an array of advances are … Continue reading “Healthcare Gets Personal: George Church to Keynote Our Dec. 12 Event”
Steve Case on Lessons for Entrepreneurs and HS Seniors
It was a totally packed house last night, with more than 200 people crammed into the cool new theater and networking space at the Cambridge Innovation Center’s Venture Café here in Cambridge, MA. The person of interest for the invitation-only crowd: AOL founder-turned-venture capitalist Steve Case. Case, of course, is one of the best-known entrepreneurs … Continue reading “Steve Case on Lessons for Entrepreneurs and HS Seniors”
The Memo That Spawned Microsoft Research—Analysis and Download
Microsoft Research, the central research arm of that tech giant of the northwest, was founded in September 1991. This is the prehistory. With the recent stepping down of Rick Rashid—the head of the organization since its inception, who took a new job at Microsoft in July—I have decided to post the memo that gave birth … Continue reading “The Memo That Spawned Microsoft Research—Analysis and Download”
The Memo That Spawned Microsoft Research—and Its Lessons for Today
How many great corporate organizations were created with the words, “Once upon a time?” Not many, I’ll wager. Yet that is exactly how Microsoft Research, one of the world’s biggest and most prestigious corporate research institutions, came to life back in 1991. “Once upon a time,” former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold wrote to Bill Gates … Continue reading “The Memo That Spawned Microsoft Research—and Its Lessons for Today”
Agenda Live for Xconomy Healthcare Summit Oct. 15–Get Your Invite
Quick question: What is so important to Americans that the U.S. Congress is willing to shut the government down over it? The answer (as if you didn’t know already): healthcare. Here at Xconomy, we have long been tired of the political spin doctoring that surrounds healthcare. So we set out to convene a very exclusive, … Continue reading “Agenda Live for Xconomy Healthcare Summit Oct. 15–Get Your Invite”
Announcing Oct. 15 Xconomy Healthcare Summit: Request An Invitation
There’s hardly an issue that is more of a hot button than healthcare—and there’s hardly an issue that is surrounded by as much poorly understood, misguided, or outright misleading information. Yet neither are there many sectors as fundamentally important to our economy and future growth. To get to some real answers (or at least valuable … Continue reading “Announcing Oct. 15 Xconomy Healthcare Summit: Request An Invitation”
A Deal on a Handshake: A Short Tribute to Outgoing Babson President
Sunday marked Len Schlesinger’s official last day of service as Babson College president after five standout years in the role. Today, new Babson president Kerry Healey, former lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, takes over. As the guard changes at one of the world’s best schools for entrepreneurship, I wanted to give my own adieu to Schlesinger, … Continue reading “A Deal on a Handshake: A Short Tribute to Outgoing Babson President”
Juan Enriquez on the Forces Shaping Innovation: A Napa Summit Preview
What are the most powerful forces affecting innovation and the economy? That is one of the key questions facing the nation as we inch our way out of the economic mire. Juan Enriquez may not have all the answers, but he has some deep insights into the path forward, and a way of framing the … Continue reading “Juan Enriquez on the Forces Shaping Innovation: A Napa Summit Preview”
Xconomy Opens in Texas, Expanding Roundup of Innovation Across U.S.
I’ve been coming to Texas regularly for more than 20 years—first to meet my future in-laws, and ever since to visit a growing extended family network around the state. I didn’t envision opening a Texas business arm on that initial visit (I didn’t have a business), but ever since launching Xconomy in mid-2007, I’ve been … Continue reading “Xconomy Opens in Texas, Expanding Roundup of Innovation Across U.S.”
Announcing Xconomy Napa Summit 2013: New Rules for Growth
Finally, the economy seems to be heading in the right direction, but frustratingly slowly—and peril lurks around every sequester corner. Is that the new normal in this age of rising healthcare costs, venture capital belt-tightening, and a nearly broken Congressional system that can’t see fit to invest properly in vital areas such as research and … Continue reading “Announcing Xconomy Napa Summit 2013: New Rules for Growth”
NY’s Venture Challenge Is Tomorrow—Last Chance to Get Tickets
We’re really excited about tomorrow morning’s Xconomy Forum—New York’s Venture Challenge: Building Big to Last. Tickets have been selling fast, and today is the last chance to get yours without paying the walk-in rate. The event starts at 9:30 am, with networking and coffee beginning an hour before that. So grab those last tickets and … Continue reading “NY’s Venture Challenge Is Tomorrow—Last Chance to Get Tickets”
Announcing Xconomy Boulder/Denver—7th Region in Our Network
Thank you Boulder and Denver! We are extremely pleased to announce today the launch of Xconomy Boulder/Denver, the seventh bureau in our growing network of news sites covering the business of technology in key innovation clusters around the United States. We couldn’t have done it without the incredible support of the entrepreneurial and innovation communities … Continue reading “Announcing Xconomy Boulder/Denver—7th Region in Our Network”
Lost My iPhone in Royal Danish Moat—Can You Beat That?
I don’t have too many firsts to my name. But I’m betting I’m the first to lose an iPhone 5 in the moat of Rosenborg Castle, the famous Danish royal family castle in the heart of Copenhagen. At least in 2013. It just happened today—luckily my laptop was back at the hotel. I am here … Continue reading “Lost My iPhone in Royal Danish Moat—Can You Beat That?”
Pearl Harbor: A Day That Should Live in Innovation
Almost everyone raised in America knows the story of Pearl Harbor. On the morning of December 7, 1941—71 years ago today—the Japanese Imperial Navy launched a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, claiming eight battleships and other vessels, and 2,403 military and civilian lives, nearly as many as on … Continue reading “Pearl Harbor: A Day That Should Live in Innovation”
HHS CTO Bryan Sivak on How Government Can Spur Healthcare Innovation
It’s not every entrepreneur who even entertains the notion of moving from business to government. Bryan Sivak, though, has made the shift three times over. Sivak left his job at the company he helped create for a position in city government (as Chief Technology Officer for Washington, DC), then became Maryland’s Chief Innovation Officer, and … Continue reading “HHS CTO Bryan Sivak on How Government Can Spur Healthcare Innovation”
Healthcare in Transition: Agenda Live for Xconomy Forum Dec. 10
There are few things that touch our lives, and our economy, like healthcare. That’s why we are especially excited about the stellar lineup we have assembled for our Dec. 10 forum that will provide a first-hand, personal dimension to what’s happening in healthcare innovation. Keynote speakers include Bryan Sivak, CTO of the U.S. Department of … Continue reading “Healthcare in Transition: Agenda Live for Xconomy Forum Dec. 10”
Cambridge Officially the New Center of MA Venture Deals—the Data
Over the past few years, it’s no secret to Boston-area entrepreneurs that venture capitalists have been moving back into Cambridge and Boston from places like Waltham’s Winter Hill, Lexington, and Wellesley. Off the top of my head, I can name Atlas, Highland, Bessemer, Greylock … and that’s just a quick list. Firms like Polaris (through … Continue reading “Cambridge Officially the New Center of MA Venture Deals—the Data”
Xconomy’s Post-Election Innovation Priority Poll—The Results
Mr. President, the country’s innovation leaders have spoken. Yesterday, just to keep the election fun going, we asked our readers—entrepreneurs, investors, technologists, executives, or just anyone interested in the business of technology—to weigh in on the things they thought were most important for you and the new Congress to focus on when it comes to … Continue reading “Xconomy’s Post-Election Innovation Priority Poll—The Results”
Xconomy’s Post-Election Innovation Priority Poll
[Updated, Nov. 9—The polls are closed. But you can see the results here–Eds] The election is over. But as we all know, the really hard part—finding ways for our newly elected and reelected leaders to work together to move the country forward—still remains. There is work to be done on a multitude of fronts, of … Continue reading “Xconomy’s Post-Election Innovation Priority Poll”
Mobile Madness NY Dec. 4 Preview: 3 Core Ideas From Roger Ehrenberg
What’s true about our mobile future—and what is overblown or missing the point? Amidst lots of predictions, gazillions of apps, and a fair bit of hype, sorting this out is key for thousands of startups, investors, and consumers. And we at Xconomy hope to unearth some real insights into this question at our Mobile Madness … Continue reading “Mobile Madness NY Dec. 4 Preview: 3 Core Ideas From Roger Ehrenberg”
Wolfram, Sivak to Headline Our Healthcare in Transition Forum Dec. 10
It’s no surprise that healthcare has been a huge issue this election cycle. But while the ballots will (hopefully) all be counted in a week from now, healthcare will remain front and center for years to come—and everyone agrees it will have to be dealt with in new and innovative ways. We at Xconomy are … Continue reading “Wolfram, Sivak to Headline Our Healthcare in Transition Forum Dec. 10”
Xconomist of the Week: Angel John Landry Says No to Consumer Apps, Couples
[Updated, October 18, 2012–see below] A few weeks ago, Xconomy posted a slide-show extravaganza called Top Angel Investors of New England that featured short profiles of 34 of the region’s leading individual investors. To help choose the candidates, we culled through editors’ knowledge banks, and surveyed entrepreneurs and investors alike. One name on nearly everyone’s … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: Angel John Landry Says No to Consumer Apps, Couples”
Xconomist of the Week: SRI’s Curt Carlson on 7 Rules for Creating Jobs
“This all comes down to job growth,” Curt Carlson says, considering the future of the U.S. economy. “Budget cuts and changes to tax policies and regulations are necessary. But whether they lower rates for some people, increase revenue by taxing the rich, or close corporate loopholes, they aren’t remotely enough to offset the deficit we face. … Continue reading “Xconomist of the Week: SRI’s Curt Carlson on 7 Rules for Creating Jobs”
Sam Waksal On Biotech’s New Paradigm—and Implications for New York
When it comes to building biotech companies in New York, there is arguably no one who knows more about the subject than Sam Waksal. He founded ImClone back in 1984, and now is building a new biotech company called Kadmon Corporation that is headquartered right in Manhattan. So we are especially pleased that Waksal will … Continue reading “Sam Waksal On Biotech’s New Paradigm—and Implications for New York”
Reinventing Biotech’s Biz Model for NY: Issues for Our Oct. 4 Event
We are getting really excited for our annual fall biotech event in New York, which this year has the theme of Reinventing Biotech’s Business Model for the Big Apple. It takes place this Thursday from 6:00-8:30 pm at the Apella event space at the Alexandria Center for Life Science. We have a stellar lineup for … Continue reading “Reinventing Biotech’s Biz Model for NY: Issues for Our Oct. 4 Event”