[Smartest Places on Earth: Why Rustbelts Are the Emerging Hotspots]of Global Innovation by [[Antoine van Agtmael]] is one of those professional titles a person reads to better understand their work environment. I read it so that I could better understand the concept of interdisciplinary "cluster hires" concept is a current hot topic on our campus. "Cluster hires" are a direct result of some of the innovation trends that are being pushed on academe, particularly by industry and politicians without the corresponding support of monetary resources that are needed in order to make the kind of innovation described in the book happen. The main idea of these rustbelt hotspots is that "connectors" are able to bridge academe and industry in such a way that the two can come together and form laboratory incubators that create the innovative products of tomorrow. This gathering of creative minds create a spin-off cultural atmosphere that attracts more of the creative minds and money needed to create more innovative products that attract creative minds who create spinoff cultural atmosphere that attracts more creative individuals who want to live in exciting and creative places, ... You get the picture. The authors reveal where these new places are found, generally in old rustbelt areas of the U.S. and Northern Europe, and explain what happened there and why.

My problem with this book - all the innovative places profiled, except one, are centered on medical science technology. The one exception - Stuttgart, Germany, with its emphasis on custom manufacturing. Surely, there is more to innovative creation of new products than medical technology? ( )