Funneling innovators into the public, private sectors 
The Misk Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recently launched the Challenge for Change initiative, which aims to foster innovation in the Kingdom, drive social impact, and advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
In today’s knowledge-driven economy, the ability to attract, develop, and retain skilled innovators is a key driver of economic growth. A strong base of homegrown innovators provides both economic and strategic advantages. Greater innovation boosts a country’s capacity to absorb new technologies and develop capabilities, leading to higher growth rates. This focus on innovators is crucial in the global competition for talent.
Innovators can emerge beyond major cities and traditional institutions, such as educational establishments. In fact, they may not meet the conventional profile of an innovator — highly educated, from a certain socioeconomic background, and with access to opportunities.
For innovation to be impactful, there must be a system that identifies these hidden innovators. Countries that succeed in building sustainable pipelines of innovation support policies spanning education, research and development, small business incubation, digital infrastructure, and more.
Finding innovators is not the only issue; a bigger challenge is how to channel their innovative ideas and work into the right places. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Growth Framework illustrates why this is crucial. Countries that rank highly for innovativeness may face a bottleneck in talent availability. In high-income economies, the shortage of skilled innovators poses a significant challenge to continued growth.
This highlights the importance of identifying homegrown innovators who are ready to meet the demands of a competitive global landscape, especially if a country wishes to become a global hub for innovation.
In today’s knowledge-driven economy, the ability to attract, develop, and retain skilled innovators is a key driver of economic growth.
Dr. Ghadah W. Alharthi
Investing in a sustainable innovation pipeline is not simply about preparing for future economic challenges; it is also about building a legacy that ensures continued relevance on the world stage.
This means that a bigger challenge will be creating policies that uplift not only the well-known but also the hidden changemakers — those whose talents lie outside conventional frameworks of success.
Based on my recent experience judging a Changemakers competition with the Camden Local Council and the University of the Arts London, community-driven programs can unearth promising innovators and support them in various ways. These initiatives equip individuals with vital skills and connect them to like-minded networks, promoting innovation at the community level.
The key lies in combining and streamlining the efforts of various institutions and commissions. Separate competitions, resources, and funding could be replaced by a unified process that identifies innovators across all sectors and regions of the country, while ensuring they are placed where their potential can be maximized.
Such efforts complement traditional approaches that prioritize academic research and private-sector development, which is the norm in most countries, including the US and UK. This highlights the importance of diversifying sources of innovation, as it is often found in unexpected places.
There are various solutions to this, but choosing the correct one depends on a deep understanding of the context and the actors involved. It takes good data and the right management processes, embedded in frontline activities rather than centralized systems, to surface those rare individuals.
- Dr. Ghadah W. Alharthi is an international cultural adviser and an associate professor specializing in culture and innovation at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. X: @GhadahWA
