Innovation-Centered Society: from the First Wave to the Smart Society

Abstract

Abstract Ideas really matter, as they decisively influence people thoughts, creeds and behaviours. Among these, the tomorrow’s world feature is a current dominant concern. Alvin Toffler’s perspective of the three major disruptive waves colliding mankind’s history is still revealing. Also, Thomas Friedman’s intuitive vision of an interconnected world becoming flat, relates to circumstances in which any nation could potentially challenge another one, on an equal basis, within the global competitive playing field. Recently, the concept of a future Smart Society gains ground, and innovation plays an essential role in it, as it possesses the potential not only to flatten the world, but also to expand it, in terms of enlarging human knowledge perspectives. Consequently, the future world society should be better named Innovation-Centered Society rather than Smart Society. Following the Toffler’s society evolution pattern, the core element of the future should be innovation, as this is the common denominator of the disruptive technologies progress, and has the power to create an entire supporting ecosystem.