Art, culture, history, and innovation. Prague & Poland, Estonia, Eastern Europe.

If you're new here at 2thinknow, and you're interested in the latest ideas on trends, companies and innovation, subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for your visit!

ANALYSIS, Sydney — Prague proves the point. Culture determines innovation.

Markets do not, not in isolation.

The Czech Republic has one of the least basket-case economies in Eastern Europe and key investment destination of the former Eastern European business investment destinations.

Walking the streets of Prague, we can see all the consulting firms, and major corporations, who have established offices here.

Remote analysis is useful, but research-including-walking-around and observing is often invaluable in pointing out flaws in statistical analysis.

The Balkan problem with Innovation - dogma

Croatia, a very beautiful place, and Slovakia its former sister has not achieved the same stellar success. Serbia, Macedonia, Albania and much of the Balkan neighbours are close to a basket case in economic terms. I believe however they have spectacular up-side, with commensurate risk.

Looking for success stories, we must look at the former Bohemia (Czech republic), Poland and possibly Hungary. These countries can argue a point intellectually without resulting to dogma.

Intellectual traditions that even communism did not crush; especially intellectual pluralism and debate which must be rated highly.

Much of the Balkans is dogmatic and monothematic. No pluralism considered or allowed. There is simply a dogmatic truth of entrenched positions exploited by the skillful.

A force for innovation – Intellectual Pluralism

Pluralism has in the past been one of USA’s great ideals, when balanced with its strong religion foundation of faith.

But pluralism, and liberalist ideas, mixed with conventional religious morals, is a strong case for a strong economy. For right or wrong, and as Ben Franklin made the point in numerous homilies; Jesus and the Bible are a foundation for moral behaviour.

There are some extremities in the Bible, and one must examine the Bible as a document of faith, not a literal word-for-word policy. The fact remains the word can be perfect, without being literal, but this is something for scholars and poets.

States and countries need a pluralistic liberalism of views, and the pragmatism of the writers of the US constitution.

Romania, Budapest, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Macedonia, Albania and many other states in the Eastern European satellites will fight for economic consideration, but many of these states have never held considerable power. There are some downside risks for each.

States in this region, to unleash innovation, must first embrace some limited pluralism in the intellectual classes, exchange ideas globally and reduce some dogma, whilst maintaining strong economies and political alliances. I think many will succeed but some represent varying degrees of risk in economic and geo-political terms.

History – the past for innovation

History is important. Bohemia and Poland were once important kingdoms. Culture counts.

A history of intellect and pluralistic thought can only be submerged by communism, not destroyed. In many ways the map of the nineteenth century has reappeared, the question is have the power and cultural factors also reappeared, or have these been reshaped by technology such s the internet.

Of the less historically important states from the closer former Soviet states Estonia and to a lesser extent Latvia have immediate potential for innovation.

Estonia has some chance of meeting these criteria, despite its little known history.

Many of the other soviet-band states will need removing from poverty and the temptation of ideological dogma. A strong Russian pole of power, especially a centralist pole of power, may crush this innovation, so alliances will be important, and not just to Scandinavian and Baltic neighbours.

There is the possibility of a stronger Russian pole of power, and a strong German pole of power within these regions; which may be counter-balanced with a Pan-French-English pole of power, extending into Poland.

A factor is that Istanbul may or may not prevail as the head of a secular state. Balance of power has shifted inside and around Europe. This is being considered by the Sarkozy government.

Pre-conditions for Innovation

Liberal plurality at an intellectual level is part of the pre-conditions an innovative nation. This does not mean laissez-faire or a Wild West free-for-all with no rules.

Poland and Czech Republic, as well as Austria’s immediate neighbours are possibly Eastern Europe’s least risky ventures for innovation in the short or medium-term.

Poland as a strategic partner for Britain and the US is the area of my greatest interest in terms of innovation.

A Strong Poland has an interesting effect on European power.

Poland is where my innovation search is.

There are two million Poles (an approximate statistic) flooding into Great Britain.

There is a reason. And technologies of social computing allow new possibilities for borderless ethnic states, many of the negatives of which have been emphasised.

But there are important geo-political positives of the borderless state.

There’s a thought,

Christopher

Connect to Christopher Hire.

Speaker. Author. Editor-In-Chief. Executive Director of Innovation, 2thinknow.

Filing. Eastern Europe, Economics & Trade, Innovation
Tagged. 2thinknow, Albania, America, Austria, Balkan, Baltic, Bohemia, Christopher Hire, communism, community, democracy, Estonia, Europe, foreign policy, France, Germany, global cities, global innovation, Great britain, Hungary, Innovation, innovative cities, innovative technology, Intellectual pluralism, international, internet, Latvia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Pluralism, Poland, Prague, Public Policy, Romania, Serbia, social networks, Tallinn, technological innovation, Tirana, UK, USA, Web 2.0, web communities, zeitgeist