David Warren on technology, innovation and invention

Altium non-executive director David Warren has been interviewed by ABC Radio in Hobart, on the future of Australian innovation and invention. Dave discussed what motivated him to pursue physics as a career, and how innovation - in electronics design (with Altium), in astronomy, in ecological industries - has unfolded in Australia. And why it is vitally important at the moment.

One thing is certain about Dave Warren, he is passionate and even excited about innovation. Amongst his wide range of activities - including developing and flying a battery powered ultralight aircraft - he is an honorary research associate at the School of Mathematics at the University of Tasmania. He lives and breaths research and innovation, which might be why Dave is one of the driving influences behind Altium.

Growing up through the heady years of 1960's where space and nuclear technology were new and exciting, Dave pursued astronomy and physics in the form of astrophysics and helped Australia come to the word's attention in that area. Isolated from the world down in Tasmania, where the clear skies and low electrical interference are ideal for radio astronomy, Dave and his associates built most of their gear. Seat of pants innovation was the R&D mantle in that era, which instilled a fundamental understanding of the importance of experimentation and invention.

The results of development in those early days of radio physics have echoed through the world as we know it. Wireless technology developed by radio physicists at Australia's national body for research (CSIRO) has gone on to commercial development and the familiar wireless systems of today. Similarly, Dave mentioned radio astronomy developments that have gone on to become aircraft instrument landing systems and automated image recognition processing.

During that discussion Dave also expresses his disappointment that Australia has lost some of this innovative spirit as mining and financial services came to dominate the economy. As he says, it's in danger of becoming "one big gravel pit". However, the biggest problems that Australia and rest of the world need to solve are largely environmental according to Dave - specifically, sustainable food and power for the increasing population.

To solve those issues, he says, we need to innovate and focus on research. A philosophy that applies to science in general and of course, electronics design. When asked if the current economic climate (the GFC) would cause R&D to shrink, Dave made to point that the exact opposite should happen.

"When things get tough, you need to strengthen research to survive," he commented, and used Altium as a prime example of the success of that approach. That strategy also applies to product design (and particularly electronic product design) where companies should now promote innovation by putting more into R&D, he says. That allows a company to get unique new products to market that stand out amongst the competition - it's no use trying to compete by creating the same products as everyone else.

We need to regard the current events as an opportunity - a chance to stand head and shoulders above the crowd by investing in R&D and innovation.

"Seize that opportunity" said Dave.