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Sabin CARME, Darmstadt / Senior Innovation Consultant at Merck Group, deeptech business angel, and startup mentor at Deepnovation.
1. How do you define innovation, and why is it important for you (personally, not for your professional activity)?
No one can predict the future but somehow you can influence the “odds” to create favorable options for your business - This way of cheating the Casino is my definition of Innovation.
2. If we only consider “digital” what’s the biggest impact you witnessed directly these last years (remote working notwithstanding)?
I am still shocked how much electricity is used to mine cryptocurrencies. Therefore proof of stake that can make it more sustainable is a key progress.
3. What’s currently the hottest topic in your field that you believe might have a chance to really be transformative?
CRISPR Cas9 Doudna and Charpentier paper was published exactly 10 years ago but did not yet delivered its promised. When combined with the right technology (nano/electronics/computing…) it will create a massive inflection in value… its coming!
4. In contrast, what's the most over-hyped topic and why?
I don’t believe in plant based “meat”, I see company fighting in “poor marketing campaigns” and VC recent rationality will not allow it anymore. Oppositely, I am a strong believer in synthetic biology and lab cultivated products i.e. meat, milk...
5. What is the most surprising weak signal you have direct knowledge of that we all should be paying more attention to?
The level of education of Europe’s next young generation seems worrying, according to PISA ranking. I still believe that innovation is correlated with talents and Asia has built here a very strong “human” asset to lead the world in the future.
