The 32nd edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre - part of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT), hosted the British scientist and journalist “Matt Ridley” who gave an interesting session on his latest book "How Innovation Works"

In the session, Ridley, discussed the importance of innovation in changing the world and shaping our future, presenting a fascinating and in-depth look into the process of innovation and how to achieve it, and then delving into further detail on the concept of innovation, its nature, and how it occurs, as well as its importance and impact on the continuous transformation of the world.

According to Ridley, our world is evolving and changing as a result of invention, which necessitates adequate freedom to experiment and invest. By definition, innovation is the evolution and integration of existing ideas and technologies over time, as well as the advancement of knowledge and technology, in order to use renewable tools and materials to find new solutions to human challenges, meet their needs, and achieve comprehensive development in a variety of fields. However, innovation is rarely well-received.

Although it may need a touch of luck for the inventor to stumble across something unexpected and investigate how it can be useful, innovation does not rely only on luck, as there is always a series of gradual events and consequences that will promote invention. The accumulation of knowledge significantly contributes to the occurrance of innovation when different people work to produce it in multiple places, taking into account the importance of time in this process, as this requires sufficient time to discover new ideas and develop them into real innovations.

Ridley also explained the relationship between innovation and invention, which is a subset of innovation. The invention requires ongoing development in order to become a trustworthy and useful source that benefits us and contributes to the ease of our lives.

Innovation, on the other hand, frequently leads to discovery, as we unveil new and innovative things that inspire us to learn more about the technologies that enable them. There is trial and error in both scenarios, as well as times of inspiration and serendipity where various people can have the same creative experience.

The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair will continue to bring subject matter experts like Matt Ridely to the public, enabling visitos of all ages to be inspired and to learn something of value every day until May 28th at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).