Keynote: 14th Annual KIRA Awards, Fredericton – The Importance of Innovation

Jim Carroll delivered the keynote address at the 14th Annual KIRA Awards (Knowledge Industry Recognition Awards) in Fredericton, New Brunswick on May 3, 2012, celebrating the innovation leaders, technology entrepreneurs, and digital economy builders of Atlantic Canada before an audience of approximately 300 business leaders, entrepreneurs, and government officials — including the Premier of New Brunswick. The KIRA Awards are the province’s premier recognition program for excellence in the knowledge industry, and Carroll’s keynote, built around the theme of “The Need for Speed,” explored why the velocity of innovation was now the defining competitive variable for any region, organization, or individual seeking to build a knowledge economy. He described the Fredericton evening as “truly magical” — an entire community of innovators gathering to celebrate their best, in a city that had quietly built a remarkable technology ecosystem. The message: recognizing and celebrating innovation is not ceremonial — it is the cultural fuel that keeps the innovation engine running.