Every Thursday from 2-3 pm Dr. Sushil Bhatia sits in his office at Suffolk University where he is currently Professor and Executive in Residence inviting students to participate in what he calls ‘Innovation Hours’ . Students can drop in to discuss their ideas, gain knowledge, advice and generally have a conversation on the topic. This is part of the larger initiative that Dr. Bhatia is spearheading here. In 2005, as a member of the faculty he introduced a course on innovation and instituted a competition of ideas with a 5K prize. Now in 2013, the same award has increased to $100K  and renamed in his honor as the" The Dr. Sushil Bhatia Competition for Innovative Ideas".

Dr. Bhatia received a Ph.D (Doctor of Science in Chemistry, University de Liege, Belgium) specializing in polymers, adhesives, printing methods, labels and inks. He subsequently earned an MBA (Suffolk University, Boston, Massachusetts), specializing in marketing and sales. Through a career of over twenty-five years, he has co-developed or invented many products in common use today: Glue Stic, unique convention/seminar name badges, mailing labels, laser/copier labels, binding systems and electro-sensitive paper. He has led new product launch teams for Dennison with IBM and Gillette, and his efforts have led to commercial sales. He has successfully started a variety of companies in diverse fields – printing, packaging, software, recycling and inks.

Tell us more about how this competition was renamed after you?

When I started teaching at Suffolk Business School (my first and only teaching job) in 2005 I created and taught courses on Innovation, Entrepreneurship and New Product Development. Having done all of these before in real life, it was a natural thing to do.  In 2006 I created New Product Innovation Competition at Suffolk (instead of Business plan competition) with $5K in prize money. Since I created this competition the number of entries has grown from 27 in year one to over 250 per year now. Thanks to our sponsors the award ( cash and services) money has also increased from $5K in 2006 to  now  $100K in 2013. Suffolk recognized this and renamed the award after me.

What are the two awards that are open to the general public?

Urvashi, my wife has been a source of inspiration for more than 40years. We work well as a team and have worked on various aspects of business together. The Urvashi Bhatia Green Award is given to ideas that meet environmental needs and is open to the general public. The other category “The Frugal Innovation Award” recognizes inexpensive and useful products designed to help 4+ billion people who earn roughly two dollars a day. All other awards are only open to Suffolk University undergraduate and graduate students and alumni.

What has been the response from the students?

Initially, we had to urge students to think innovatively.  I have now created a culture of innovation and the awards have also been a motivation. Winners must now submit a progress report every quarter before the next installment because we are focusing on idea to execution. We offer other resources from introduction to investors and business mentoring. The Past winner/innovators have gone on to license/sell their products on iTunes, QVC TV or Shark Tank and have gone from I2E (Innovators to Entrepreneurs). Some of them will come to TiE Angel group to raise money.

Where do you think we must innovate?

Innovation happens all the time. It can happen in any sphere from nanotechnology, biotech, chemistry, manufacturing, IT etc. We are constantly innovating in our daily lives.  It is a new way of dealing with things, even having fun doing it. The buzz word in innovation now is “Innovation through collaboration’ and ‘open source innovation’.

 Can you share with us your entrepreneurial journey?

I was always ambitious to start my own business. Soon after I graduated from college in India, I was offered a scholarship to do a PhD in Belgium which I completed in two years. When I returned, there was a self-employment scheme for new businesses in India so I started on my own. I did not have a business background or a family with business ties. It was a great experience for me.  A Belgian firm then approached me since my specialty was in environment products and asked me to join their firm in the US. In 1993 I decided to strike out on my own again and founded JMD Manufacturing, a marking and coding equipment and supplies company.

What are the key qualities that makes one an innovator?

People often say ‘think outside the box”. I tell my students to think inside the box, look around you and think about how we can do this differently, identify opportunities and come up with new solutions. For me innovation comes from thinking neutral. A calm mind is a happy mind and a happy mind can think innovatively. My classes always start with laughter and meditation which I think are powerful in breaking barriers and opening up the mind. I encourage them to start a presentation with these elements and see how they are able to perceive things differently. As Albert Einstein famously stated, “One cannot solve a problem with the same mindset that created it in the first place.

More information at www.sushilbhatia.com; www.suffolk.edu/business/9500,html

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