Systems Innovation

After internet problems the past two days, I'm finally back online! Sorry for the late posting!

Systems innovation is complex but easily explainable, at least that’s how I felt after reading the Nesta paper Systems Innovation.

The paper talked about different systems, and how as time has passed and technology progresses, systems become more common and even more complex.

I really liked this paper because I felt like it did a good job explaining systems innovations – how systems are interconnected and influenced by each other.

I thought it was interesting that they pointed out system failures, and how systems can be a victim of their own successes. I hadn’t thought about this before now, and it really made sense to me. Especially relevant was pointing out the food system as an example of this. Over the years, we’ve improved the way we produce food, becoming more efficient. But, at the same time, our food system has developed into one that fuels obesity. Not just that, but it also has become one that has negative impacts on the environment, specifically climate change.

Later in the paper, the writer describes strategies and options for systems innovation. There are many factors that go into this: changes in behavior and culture, and changes by government and business. In order to transform the system there needs to be strategies from all sides. We can look at the food system and apply strategy for innovation or improvement. If the government were to pass legislation or change regulations on food production, there could be a profound impact on food waste, greenhouse gas emissions from food systems, etc. If people were to change the way they look at food, as something used for nourishment and not for overindulgence, there may be a positive effect on health issues such as obesity and diabetes, etc. If the government and the people made changes, the system could become better and could also positively affect other similar systems, or systems related to the food industry.

Once again, I’m on that topic of everyone working together to better the world…

Comments

[Monica Hall]

This was kind of where I was getting at with my post, although I didn't go into detail about the food systems example. I think the problem of obesity is rooted in issues way past the 'simple' system of food production, such as mental health, complying with social norms, and the supposedly unrelated and independent nutritional standards. I do agree in that if the government altered the regulations for the production of food, it could certainly have profound effects on obesity. However, I also believe personal/societal change could more profoundly alter our eating habits (for good), which would also change the demand of food being produced, and inherently solving another one of the problems as well. I kind of just reworded exactly what you said in your post, haha my b.