A different perspective on what drives innovation was voiced at Managing Automation’s Progressive Manufacturing Summit this week in Sarasota, FL.

Jose Bravo, chief scientist at Shell Global Solutions, believes that one of the best motivators for innovation is when a company gets into dire straits.

“A crisis is an enabler of innovation,” Bravo said, during a one-on-one conversation on stage with MA senior editor Stephanie Neil.

Is he right? Does a company have to be in trouble to innovate? Does a crisis situation create better conditions for innovation?

Surely, companies don’t need to be in crisis mode to innovate, but having a compelling sense of urgency can certainly help. Nothing motivates more than a knife at the throat, as the old saying goes. Still, Bravo’s point is well taken. Companies, like individuals, shift into survival mode when they feel threatened, enabling them to do things they wouldn’t do under normal circumstances.

Better management, though, can move organizations to innovate continuously — without the threat of a crisis. After all, if your company has to wait for a crisis to figure out what to do or build next, it is apt to get into a vicious cycle of dependence on a crisis mentality. And that’s no way to move things forward.

– David R. Brousell, Editor-in-Chief