when invention turns to innovation it is unlikely that future technological inventions are going to have the same kind of transformative impact that they did in the past.  when history takes a look back at great inventions like the car and transistor  they were defining technologies which ultimately changed people s lives substantially. but  says nick donofrio  senior vice-president of technology and manufacturing at ibm  it was not  the thing  itself that actually improved people s lives. it was all the social and cultural changes that the discovery or invention brought with it. the car brought about a crucial change to how people lived in cities  giving them the ability to move out into the suburbs  whilst having mobility and access.  when we talk about innovation and creating real value in the 21st century  we have to think more like this  but faster   mr donofrio told the bbc news website  after giving the royal academy of engineering 2004 hinton lecture.  the invention  discovery is likely not to have the same value as the transistor had or the automobile had.  the equivalent of those things will be invented or discovered  but by themselves  they are just not going to able to generate real business value or wealth as these things did.  these are not altogether new ideas  and academics have been exploring how technologies impact wider society for years. but what it means for technology companies is that a new idea  method  or device  will have to have a different kind thinking behind it so that people see the value that innovative technology has for them.  we are in a different phase now when it comes to technology  argues mr donofrio  industry week s 2003 technology leader of the year. the hype and over-promise is over and now technology leaders have to demonstrate that things work  make sense  make a difference and life gets better as a result.   in the dotcom era  there was something that was jumping up in your face every five minutes.  somebody had a new thing that would awe you. you weren t quite sure that it did anything  you weren t quite sure if you needed it  you weren t quite sure if it had value for it  but it was cool.  but change and innovation in technology that people will see affecting their daily lives  he says  will come about slowly  subtlety  and in ways that will no longer be  in your face . it will creep in pervasively. nanotechnologies will play a key part in this kind of pervasive environment in all sorts of ways  through new superconducting materials  to coatings  power  and memory storage.  i am a very big believer in the evolution of this industry into a pervasive environment  in an incredible network infrastructure   says mr donofrio. pervasive computing is where wireless computing rules  and where jewellery  clothes  and everyday objects become the interfaces instead of bulky wires  screens and keyboards. the net becomes a true network that is taken for granted and just there  like air.  people will not have to do anything to stay connected. people will know their lives are just better   says mr donofrio.  trillions of devices will be connected to the net in ways people will not know.  natural interfaces will develop  devices will shape your persona  and our technologically underused voices could be telling our jewellery to sort out the finances.  ultimately  there will be  says mr donofrio  no value in being  computer illiterate . to some  it sounds like a technological world gone mad. to mr donofrio  it is a vision innovation that will happen. behind this vision should be a rich robust network capability and  deep computing   says mr donofrio. deep computing is the ability to perform lots of complex calculations on massive amounts of data  and integral to this concept is supercomputing. it has value  according to ibm  because it helps humans work out extremely complex problems to come up with valuable solutions  like how to refine millions of net search results  finding cures for diseases  or understanding of exactly how a gene or protein operates.  but pervasive computing presumably means having technologies that are aware of diversity of contexts  commands  and requirements of a diverse world. as computing and technologies become part of the environment  part of furniture  walls  and clothing  physical space becomes a more important consideration.  this is going to need a much broader range of skills and experience.  i am confident that the set [science  engineering and technology] industry is going to be short on skills   he says.  if i am right about what innovation is  you need to be multidisciplinary and collaborative.  women tend to have those traits a lot better than men.  eventually  women could win out in both life and physical sciences  he says. in the uk  a dti-funded resource centre for women has set a target to have 40% representation on set industry boards. ibm  according to mr donofrio  has 30%.  our goal is for our research team to become the preferred organisation for women in science and technology to begin their career.  the whole issue of global diversity is as much a business matter as it is a moral and social concern to mr donofrio.  we believe in the whole issue of global diversity   he says.  our customers are diverse  our clients are diverse. they expect us to look like them.  as more and more women or underrepresented minorities succeed into leadership positions  it becomes and imperative for us to constantly look like them.