Inventors' Anecdotes

In the eyes of Inventors' Collective director Hsu Yi-chuan, Chung Yu-lin is a successful and generous inventor: "He is dedicated to inventing, and is happy to share. He is passionate about everything related to invention." Hsu Yi-chuan notes that although busy with work, Chung finds time for inventor events. On one occasion, inventors came together to assert their rights to the government. Many inventors, normally a disputatious lot, abruptly became reticent. Once Chung knew of the situation, he immediately halted his company's production lines and asked more than ten employees to add their voices to the protest. At competitive exhibitions both in Taiwan and abroad, Chung is always leading the team, but yields the title of "chairman" or "captain" to others.

"A successful inventor must be stubborn about the right things, pay attention to life's inconveniences. An endless stream of ideas comes from pursuing greater quality of life," says Hsu. He believes that Chung's success lies not only in his extreme dedication to his research, but also in his courage and willingness to invest heavily in equipment modifications to allow his company to produce backlight inverters for computer displays and even LCD-TV screens at a time when the business for camera flash bulb inverters was at its most difficult-in the process making his company's offerings a dominant force in the industry.

A little creativity can lead to unlimited business opportunities. This sex aid product that combines a condom with a vibrator has created a sensation on the market.

Who cares what others say?

Speaking about inventions, Hsu stresses that an inventor's perseverance is vital. When grand ideas are first broached, they are often met with scorn. The only recourse is to rely on one's own determination if a new invention is to have any chance of being completed. This principle is illustrated by his discovery more than 20 years ago when playing basketball that if air could be injected into the soles of his shoes he would be able to jump higher and better; or when he was crossing the street and had the walk signal turn red before he had made it to the other side, making him wonder why a timer could not be placed under the pedestrian walk signal. However, these two ideas were laughed at by classmates and teachers as impractical. Looking now at the many people on the street wearing air-cushioned shoes and the traffic signs with countdown timers annoys Hsu no end.

According to statistics, for every 100 ideas produced by inventors, only 20 to 30% can be made into actual products. Of these, only about 10% are ever mass produced and commercialized. After commercialization, less than 10% likely ever appeal to consumers and earn large profits. These facts show that the path from initial idea to successful product is long and difficult.

"Laypeople have many misconceptions about 'inventions'-for example, that they must be made into a product in order to be called an invention. But that's not right," says Hsu, who teaches industrial design at National United University in Miaoli County. He often encourages students by telling them they need only present their idea clearly in text or drawings to apply for a patent. However, before doing so, they must first make online queries to determine if someone has already come up with a similar idea either in Taiwan or abroad, and then decide whether to relinquish the effort or follow through.

Hsu tells an anecdote: more than ten years ago, local inventor Huang Ying-chun devised an air-cushioned shoe. Unfortunately, due to the fact that at the time accessing relevant information was problematic, he did not scrutinize foreign patents and applied only for a domestic patent, with the result that this patent was later challenged and overturned by Nike. On the bright side, Huang also invented a next-generation air cushion design that uses blow moulding. After confirming that the idea had not been patented either in Taiwan or elsewhere in the world, he actually produced the air cushions, leading Nike to hire him as a technical consultant.

The inventions expo held in Taiwan every year is a hotbed for nurturing and stimulating student creativity. The easy-riding bicycle shown in the photograph was the idea of a student from National Huwei University of Science and Technology.

Taiwan's talented inventors

"Besides sticking with their ideas, inventors must also carefully think about the products they devise, creating designs that protect against counterfeiting," points out Hsu. He takes Gillette razors as an example: although their design is simple, they incorporate a total of eight patents, thus giving competitors no opportunity to duplicate the success in a product that is a simply a slight variation on Gillette's.

Also an inventor, Hsu finds much to admire in local achievements in this area. Regrettably, attention to the efforts of local inventors is sorely lacking.

"Every year at major international invention exhibitions, Taiwan routinely achieves the highest winning percentage for its entries. Moreover, Taiwan's booth is always extremely popular, because buyers know that Taiwanese are not only creative but that the proportion of inventions that are patented is tops in the world," he notes.

In the era of the knowledge-based economy, ideas are the ultimate source of profits. However, Hsu has observed that Taiwanese children growing up under the rigid educational system have lost out on many opportunities for hands-on learning and learning by doing, making it very difficult to spark creative ideas. This year, he has nominated Chung Yu-lin to serve as resident inventor at National United University. Chung's task there is to present a course called "From Creating an Idea to Creating a Business," to share his experiences and stimulate the next generation's creativity and interest in inventing-thus planting the seeds from which tomorrow's creative industries will spring.