The term “Renaissance” literally means rebirth and was coined initially to describe a major transitional period in Europe between medieval and modern times.
The rebirth was initially focused on culture and learning but these focal points led to breakthroughs in the arts, in science, in business and in the transformation of organizations.Our driving assumption is that we are in the midst of another one of those great swing points in history (such as the 15th century Italian Renaissance) when a whole new view of the world is emerging and is sparking an organizational revolution which is impacting on all sectors increasingly throughout the last decade and dramatically since the infamous events of September 11. We are all gaining sense that we are living through a period in which the incredible has become the inevitable. In periods of fundamental change, such as the one in which we are living, it is the innovators who help our organizations survive and thrive.
The Innovation Expedition has been engaged in a global search for breakthrough innovators, or what we might refer to as modern day Renaissance Leaders – those individuals with an unusual capacity for viewing the world holistically, for drawing on ideas and best practices from diverse disciplines and for using their imagination as the foundation for innovative initiatives that create breakthrough solutions and help build high performing organizations that can make a significant difference in developing sustainable prosperity and quality of life in communities.
Concept of Renaissance Cities (regions)
In the Italian Renaissance the enabling environment for nurturing and supporting the emergence and testing of the new ideals was centered in a few outstanding cities. Florence provided the cradle for this rebirth but by the early 16th C Venice and Rome had emulated this energy and become its equal. Rotterdam through the leadership of Erasmus became the major Renaissance city in northern Europe.
We have been suggesting for a decade that we might benefit by drawing on lessons from the Italian Renaissance and that metaphorically that we are engaged in a modern day renaissance. As it was in Florence so it is true again today. Economic growth depends on innovation, and innovation depends on creative, enterprising people. But creative people want to engage with other creative people and need an environment that nurtures innovation.So in some exploratory activity with the Foresight Group in Sweden the Innovation Expedition in 2000 has engaged leaders from eight different countries in pursuing, intriguing questions such as “Where is the modern day Florence, Venice or Rome, which cities (or regions) in the world are exhibiting the ability to function as rich enabling environments for the new renaissance leaders and for the new style organizations they are creating?” What is the nature of these new wealth creating organizations and what is the nature of supporting organizations necessary to nurture growth in the new knowledge economy?
