Reference no: EM132271096

Welcome back from your vacation. While you were enjoying a family get-together at your favorite holiday destination, two of your retired uncles heard about your innovation studies at USB and wanted to know more about the course, what you have learned and how your newly acquired insights may change the world around you. There were no such courses available when they were your age, and at work, innovation belonged to the bosses and the R&D department whose work was mostly classified as highly confidential. They were both keen to explore your knowledge of the topic, but they also had strong opinions about people and their ideas. Uncle Mask believes that innovation comes from highly talented rather than ordinary people and that talented inventors and innovators should leave the Southern Africa region and join the buzzing innovation hot spots elsewhere in the world, rather than waste their talents here. Elon Musk and Mark Shuttleworth are his two examples of what could be achieved in other parts of the world. Uncle Leverage, on the other hand, believes southern Africa should do whatever it takes to keep innovators here and equip them for success to innovate for socio-economic impact, poverty relief, new employment opportunities and competitiveness of businesses. As a recently retired engineering workshop chief, he has gained vast experience in building prototype technical gadgets for innovators who would take these to the market. He believes that the weak Rand, the energy challenges, the drought, volatile commodity prices, and low business confidence are all opportunities for innovation. He would like to establish an innovation center where aspiring innovators could gain access to enabling technologies to help them achieve a differentiating edge above current practices. He believes there is a huge scope for someone like him to produce low-cost machines powered by renewable energy sources like solar and wind. His growing list of possibilities includes: Mobile hair dressing kit with the clipper, vacuum cleaner, and light for after-hours haircuts. Vegetation shredder for turning plant materials into compost. Fridge for fishermen to keep their roadside snacks fresh. A DIY kit for light duty maintenance such as a compressor for spray painting. Mobile 3D printing kits for education and printing of toys. Water purification kits to provide clean drinking water. Both these gentlemen look forward to your scholarly views and reflections on the following questions as part of the ongoing innovation education conversation with your two uncles. An answer to Question 4 Start typing an answer to Question 4 here. Question 5 [4] Neither UNCLE MASK nor UNCLE LEVERAGE has heard of disruptive innovation before. Both have heard of Elon Musk, however, and would like you to explain the concept of disruptive innovation [2] as it applies to two of Elon Musk’s portfolio of innovations [2]. An answer to Question 5 Start typing an answer to Question 5 here. Question 6 [4] Briefly explain to these gentlemen four benefits of using an innovation management framework for the Innovation Centre that UNCLE LEVERAGE has in mind [4]. An answer to Question 6 Start typing an answer to Question 6 here. Question 7 [6] Explain briefly i) why project management should be considered by UNCLE LEVERAGE for establishing his center [2] and ii) demonstrate your mastery of project management principles by drafting a project plan that he may consider for immediate implementation to ensure a successful innovation center is in place within the next two years.