Out * post
n. 1.a. A detachment of troops stationed at a distance from a main force.
b. The station occupied by such troops.
2. An outlying settlement.

The Eastman Kodak Company has recently established a detachment of R&D personnel in Palo Alto at the heart of Silicon Valley - quite a distance from the main R&D ranks. Similar in charter with other such outposts located in the Valley, Kodak's outpost is responsible for establishing relationships with high technology companies, understanding their technologies, and synthesizing new opportunities for Kodak based on these activities. It is also charged with "infecting" the troops back home with some of the thinking and behaviors endemic to the Silicon Valley culture.

Silicon Valley is a unique geographical area that contains the seeds of great new ideas. Oftentimes, these opportunities are not found within any specific company or institution. Rather, they result from relationships born from collaborations and partnerships in a style only understood by those who live and breathe the Valley air. Placement of such an outpost can be a critical link to cutting edge technology and the networking needed to access it. Outposts should be a weapon in your innovation arsenal.