Scientific inquiry circle activities of local citizens for bottom-up type innovation

Abstract

This paper proposes a long-ranged innovation policy via intellectual or scientific development of locals in the situation of economic depression. Specifically, this paper proposes to organise local inquiry circles of citizens such as teachers, experienced farmers or fishermen, unemployed youths with a certain educational background, and students. The creative inquiry activities are purposed to accumulate intellectual or scientific knowledge for future innovation potentials in locals. These circle activities can learn lessons from the experiences of success in small volunteer-based circle activities such as 4-H clubs (Head, Heart, Hands, and Health) in agricultural areas in the early and the middle 1900s and quality circles in industries in the middle and the late 1900s. These proposed activities can be voluntarily allied with the currently active tourism policies in locals. In a long-ranged scope, they are expected to foster the intellectual or scientific potentials in locals and to push up the innovations in locals.