This is and excellent article from McKinsey Quarterly: http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/newsletters/chartfocus/2010_02.htm?goback=.hom.mid_1813402136
Companies deciding whether to move forward now with acquisitions or capital projects should weigh the historical data on the timing of stock market recoveries. One common analysis calculates how many years must pass before the market returns to normal, assuming growth at the long-term average rate of 10 percent annually. In past recessions, however, the stock market came back from the trough much more quickly, with cumulative returns—over the two years that followed it—of 50 to 130 percent. If this pattern holds in the current downturn, companies waiting too long could miss the upside of the rebound.
————————————————————————————-
This has implications on Open Innovation, start placing your bets now.
Posted by bendupont 
Bloom Energy – Emerges from Stealth; Announces New 100KW Fuel Cell, for $750,000
February 27, 2010www.bloomenergy.com announced a new fuel cell that is being tested at 5 sites (Google, ebay, Walmart (2), and FedEx) in California. These ‘energy servers’ are abut the size of a parking space and can power 80% of a Walmart store. It takes almost any fuel from ethanol to biomass and turns it into electricity.
Fuel cells are nothing new, but Bloom has figured out a way to make them cheaply and efficiently. CEO and Founder, KR Sridhar claims that a Bloom box, which he calls an energy server, is twice as efficient as the electricity grid. “For the same amount of electricity, you need half the fuel,” he says. “If you use a renewable fuel you are carbon neutral. Use all the electricity you want and don’t feel guilty about polluting the environment.”
They cost about $750,000 for a 100 kilowatt system. A typical electricity cost for commercial customers is 8 to 10 cents per kilowatt-hour versus 13 cents for what they might pay a California utility.
Bloom fuel cells are based on a solid oxide technology, quite different than previous fuel cell approaches. It’s the result of $400M in venture funding.
60 Minutes, wont allow me to imbed their video, so there is the link:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6228923n&tag=api