Companies doing Applied Complexity Research
I had recently done a quick and dirty search on companies which carry out applied complexity work, for a readings course. Here's the list -- which is by no means exhaustive -- expect more additions in the future....
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2. REDFISH GROUP (http://www.redfish.com)
“Redfish Group is a loosely-coupled organization of complexity researchers, software developers and business professionals applying the emerging science of Complex Adaptive Systems to difficult problems in business and government”
3. PREDICTION COMPANY (http://www.predict.com)
The granddaddy of them all?
4.
5. OPTOMATICA (http://www.optomatica.com)
6. COMPLEXICA (http://www.complexica.com)
“Complexica's mission was to develop intellectual property through consulting relationships with corporate clients and to commercialize that intellectual property by creating spin-offs or partnerships that focused on targeted vertical markets”
7. SPACE SYNTAX (http://www.spacesyntax.com)
Although the Space Syntax website does not directly mention complexity science, I have included them in this list, because the founder, Bill Hillier, is a complexicist.
“Space Syntax provides a creative and analytic input to the design and delivery of building and urban development projects. From the masterplanning of historic towns to the layout of major retail centers, our work focuses on the fundamental link between how space is designed and how it is used”
8. GEN ARTS (http://www.genarts.com)
9. REYNOLDS ENGINEERING AND DESIGN (http://www.red3d.com)
Both Karl Sims (Virtual Creatures) and Craig Reynolds (Boids), pioneers of the ALife movement, went on to found computer graphics companies. Although Reynolds Engineering is more forthcoming about their relation to complexity ("...we also have expertise in animation production, behavioral animation, design of autonomous characters and evolutionary computation"), I am not so sure about GenArts.
10. SANTA FE ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL (http://www.santafeassociates.com)
“Santa Fe Associates International are consultants who work with organizations to help them discover, rethink, and refine essential concepts that determine the effectiveness of their enterprises. We show how confusion about idea leads to operational problems and missed opportunities -- and we show how to change that. We then help them use their newly appreciated understanding to develop and implement strategies for breakthrough performance”
11. LEVITATED DESIGN AND CODE (http://www.levitated.net)
A company with a wonderful website devoted to open source flash animations, most of them centered around virtual creatures, cellular automata, etc.
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NOTES:
- The list only includes companies in the United States (except for Space Syntax). Note that many of them are based in Santa Fe (no coincidence), and some of them are actually spin-offs from the BIOS Group
- The quotes provided as descriptions for some of these companies are from their websites
- I have not included companies which claim to be centered around A.I., although some might qualify...
A~
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Kauffman's BIOS Group, perhaps the most successful of these companies, was merged with NuTech Solutions.
2. REDFISH GROUP (http://www.redfish.com)
“Redfish Group is a loosely-coupled organization of complexity researchers, software developers and business professionals applying the emerging science of Complex Adaptive Systems to difficult problems in business and government”
3. PREDICTION COMPANY (http://www.predict.com)
The granddaddy of them all?
“….. Our technology allows us to build fully automated trading systems which can handle huge amounts of data, react and make decisions based on that data and execute transactions based on those decisions - all in real time. Our science allows us to build accurate and consistent predictive models of markets and the behavior of financial instruments traded in those markets”
4.
“Icosystem creates customized tools that replicate the detailed behavior of real systems—be they companies, processes, physical systems, or social networks—whose complexity pushes them beyond the reach of traditional analytical approaches”
“Optomatica was founded in 2003 with a vision of bringing to businesses new analytical tools. Those tools would help them better understand their competitive environment and their place in it and find ways to improve their operations”
“Complexica's mission was to develop intellectual property through consulting relationships with corporate clients and to commercialize that intellectual property by creating spin-offs or partnerships that focused on targeted vertical markets”
Although the Space Syntax website does not directly mention complexity science, I have included them in this list, because the founder, Bill Hillier, is a complexicist.
“Space Syntax provides a creative and analytic input to the design and delivery of building and urban development projects. From the masterplanning of historic towns to the layout of major retail centers, our work focuses on the fundamental link between how space is designed and how it is used”
Both Karl Sims (Virtual Creatures) and Craig Reynolds (Boids), pioneers of the ALife movement, went on to found computer graphics companies. Although Reynolds Engineering is more forthcoming about their relation to complexity ("...we also have expertise in animation production, behavioral animation, design of autonomous characters and evolutionary computation"), I am not so sure about GenArts.
“Santa Fe Associates International are consultants who work with organizations to help them discover, rethink, and refine essential concepts that determine the effectiveness of their enterprises. We show how confusion about idea leads to operational problems and missed opportunities -- and we show how to change that. We then help them use their newly appreciated understanding to develop and implement strategies for breakthrough performance”
A company with a wonderful website devoted to open source flash animations, most of them centered around virtual creatures, cellular automata, etc.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTES:
- The list only includes companies in the United States (except for Space Syntax). Note that many of them are based in Santa Fe (no coincidence), and some of them are actually spin-offs from the BIOS Group
- The quotes provided as descriptions for some of these companies are from their websites
- I have not included companies which claim to be centered around A.I., although some might qualify...
A~
posted by AJ at 4:38 PM
3 comments
