The document portrays innovation as an ecosystem with various interconnecting parts including an atmosphere, resource pool, foundation of society and government, economy, entrepreneurial roots and goals, entrepreneurial reach producing innovative fruits for consumers, with resources eventually evaporating back into the economy in a continual cycle driven by human desire for improvement. The ecosystem shows how conditions, resources, social structures, economic factors, entrepreneurship and consumers all interact in an innovation life cycle that replenishes and drives itself through feedback loops.

1. Innovation Life Cycle Portrayed as an Ecosystem Karl Duffill, LUMS

2. Atmosphere: Surrounding conditions Resource Pool: Continually replenished supply of resources. Also represents risks. Society and Government: Foundation and bedrock of innovative development

3. Economy: Provides resources to resource pool and foundation. N.b. is only as good as what it gets back from the cycle (evaporation)

4. Entrepreneurial Roots: Set in the foundation of society. They feed on available resources and are networked. They simultaneously support and are supported by government and society.

5. Entrepreneurial Talent and Goals: Supports entrepreneurial ambition and reaches out toward consumers. Provides the infrastructure for innovation to occur.

6. Entrepreneurial Reach: Out of the infrastructure and support networks, entrepreneurial activity spawns outward towards consumers Innovative Fruits: The product of aforementioned entrepreneurial activity is innovative offerings to society. Can be in the form of product or processes.

7. Consumers:Innovative products and processes are ultimately chosen by consumers. They judge the relative success or failure of such: and carry the seedlings from one site to another, promoting diffusion.

8. Evaporation:Resources filter back into the economy through sales, taxes and spillage.

9. Driving Force:The biggest driving force to this entire system is human desire to continually improve and innovate upon past success.