Innovation is in the Air... Ummm, I mean State of the Union

As many of you probably did, I also listened to President Obama’s 2012 State of the Union address to our nation with great interest Tuesday night. As I mentioned in my recent book, Living in the Innovation Age, President Obama in his 2011 State of the Union address challenged the United States to win the future by "out-innovating" the rest of the world. I was glad to see that innovation is still at the top of President Obama's mind in 2012. In fact, innovation was very prominently mentioned SIX times in his address to the nation.

Here are the relevant excerpts:

1. Innovation is what America has always been about. 
2. Innovation also demands basic research. 
3. Nowhere is the promise of innovation greater than in American-made energy.
4. Innovation led to the computer chip and the Internet; to new American jobs and new American industries. 
5. We can also spur energy innovation with new incentives. 
6. There’s no reason why Congress shouldn't at least set a clean energy standard that creates a market for innovation.

By the way,  a major recurring theme in his speech was "built to last," which was mentioned FIVE times. It seems that someone has been reading Jim Collins! :)