Mentoring is fashionable but elusive: for every outstanding example there are probably many faltering relationships.
Astonishingly, the recently published Finnov Report - about finance, innovation and economic growth in Europe - has been virtually ignored by the UK press, and given only a modest formal welcome by politicians.
Mix together different disciplines and technologies, theory goes, and the sparks of creativity and innovation will fly; but many science parks (like incubators) have been more like property companies than crucibles of alchemy.
I was recently given a glimpse of Springboard, the 13-week Cambridge based accelerator, in operation, which set me wondering what might be the next developments in processes or programmes for the development of innovations and new businesses.
I was fortunate enough to listen in on the winter meeting of the British Business Angels Association held recently at NESTA. Of particular interest was a session on opportunities for investment in 2012 - which I have added below to the views of an Economist correspondent.
In a recent edition of the New Yorker, a top-notch surgeon tells about how he came to make use of a coach and what it did for him.
We have just held a 'Feast of Innovation Workshops' at City University where a unique collection of workshop leaders, each of four in turn leading a workshop on the same stage of innovation process, demonstrated the need to adapt the style of your workshop to its theme.
There are some new entrepreneurs on the block - and they are running "accelerators"
Following last week's announcement of the Alliance for Useful Evidence, Professor Jonathan Shepherd writes a guest blog on how increasing the demand for rigorous evidence will involve capitalising on the instinct of all decision makers.
While running our Destination Local programme, we often debate about the scope and nature of hyperlocal media. It's such a new term that a number of very different types of service get described as hyperlocal, usually depending on who we talk to.
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