Innovation primarily requires Curiosity & Thinking - rare activities today
Innovation is not so much about money than capability and activity
Einstein said "You can't solve a problem with the [Thinking] that created it".
Institutions, regardless of R&D funding, stifle innovation out of a need for control. And Designers, in particular, rarely (if ever) talk to customers. No wonder innovation is stifled!
Furthermore, top executives (and as an aside, especially our current President) seldom get down from their Ivory Towers and hear what they need to hear from the Customers and especially those primary people that interact with customers. Tom Peters long ago coined the term the walk around manager which critically needs reviving today. Imagine an executive, at the end of the day going down to Customer Service or Tech Support and asking What did you hear today? Anything new? What are customer complaining about? ; ???suggesting.
Want to fire up innovation? Connect a heck of a lot better with your constituents ! ALL of them ! Not just your focus and the ones that Like you.
(And yes Mr President, BTW, the other HALF of the country that didnt vote for you).
