The Roots Of Innovation by Kirell Benzi

Research is fundamental to the development of civilization. All products built today rely on the work of scientists who came up with discoveries and pioneered technologies, sometimes decades before product commercialization. In this artwork, products (the large dots at the border) are connected to the prior scientific works from which they stem (the smaller dots in the center), demonstrating how research drives innovation. Products are colored according to their manufacturing companies whereas scientific articles are colored by journals. The further away a product is from the center, the more heavily it draws on science. The fiery tone of the whole piece illustrates the inner workings of a foundry that transforms ideas into products.

Data source: Chair of Innovation and IP Policy lab @ EPFL. Data is extracted from a large database (millions) of patents dating from less than 1950 to 2018.

The entrant has supplied multiple files for this work:

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