By definition, innovation means a new idea that transforms into a sellable
product. Research is an activity that, in a broad sense, expands the
existing knowledge and acquires new knowledge. Sometimes it happens
by accident. What is the relationship between Research and
Innovation?
In this talk, I will give my view of the process of research. The
nature of research, in the purest form, is to pursue beauty. So, it is not
goal-oriented by itself. Most research is driven by curiosity.
However, research in large scale cannot be driven by self-interest.
The society that funds research demands that the cost of research is
justifiable. Innovation takes fruit from research and society
benefit.
I will give examples from real-life. A bit of my own interplay of
research and innovation. I have had some of my work turned into
products by accident.
Prabhas Chongstitvatana is a professor in the department of computer engineering, Chulalongkorn University. He earned B.Eng. in Electrical Engineering from Kasetsart University, Thailand in 1980 and Ph.D. from the department of artificial intelligence, Edinburgh University, U.K. in 1992. His research involves robotics, evolutionary computation, computer architecture, bioinformatics. He is a lifetime member of Thailand Engineering Institute, senior member of Thai Academy of Science and Technology, senior adviser of Thai Robotics Society, founding member of Thai Embedded System Association and IEEE Robotics and Automation Society. He was the president of ECTI Association of Thailand 2012-2013. He has been awarded "National Distinguished Researcher" by National Research Council of Thailand in 2009. His current interest is in building Quantum computer.