BRIEF INFORMATION ABOUT FOUNDING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL TRIZ ASSOCIATION
The International TRIZ Association was founded in 1997 by G. S. Altshuller. The Association was established in order to coordinate development of the international TRIZ movement. At the present, it is the most recognized union of TRIZ specialists in the entire world. MATRIZ is comprised of 87 Regional TRIZ Organizations.
1. Development of TRIZ movement infrastructure.
Since the beginning of the 1960s, G. S. Altshuller was an organizer and leader of TRIZ movement in the former Soviet Union. In the 1970s he established a public laboratory of inventive creativity (OLMI) and public institute of inventive creativity of Azerbaijan (AzOIIT). Schools of this kind were also founded in some other cities of the USSR: Leningrad, Petrozavodsk, Dnepropetrovsk, Gor’ky, Volgograd, Chelyabinsk, Kishinev, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, Minsk, Obninsk, etc. In the 70-80s all-union TRIZ seminars and conferences were conducted on regular basis in Novosibirsk, Miasse, Moscow and other cities. Most often these conferences took place in Petrozavodsk. They were carried out here in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1989. These conferences enhanced the development of TRIZ mechanisms and laid foundation for the development of the worldwide TRIZ community.
Thus, by the end of the 80s in the Soviet Union the infrastructure of TRIZ movement was formed: it consisted of TRIZ professionals, TRIZ schools, TRIZ research laboratories, information centers (beginning in Moscow and then in Chelyabinsk), TRIZ seminars, and TRIZ conferences. Managing such a system became a priority. In 1988 a network of TRIZ advisers was established for this purpose. In April 1988 Altshuller published a list of TRIZ advisers in “TRIZ reference 88” as well as in his letter “About TRIZ-TRTL consultations”. In the letter he wrote: “The work of advisers is voluntary, free of charge. A year later, after the advisers gain some experience, their status may be revised”. A year later, in 1989, TRIZ Association was founded.
2. TRIZ Association – formalization of TRIZ movement.
In 1989 a regular TRIZ conference was held in Petrozavodsk. Representatives of TRIZ movement from 50 cities of the USSR and Turku (Finland) participated in the event. The conference transformed into a constituent assembly of TRIZ Association. 139 people took part in its work. Altshuller H.S. was elected President of TRIZ Association. The Board was also elected; among its members there were the editor of TRIZ magazine and keeper of TRIZ materials fund in CHOUNB (Chelyabinsk). TRIZ magazine has become an official publishing body of TRIZ Association.
In 1990 G.S. Altshuller moved from Baku to Petrozavodsk with TRIZ Association’s assistance. In 1991 the Board of directors of TRIZ Association was also moved from Novosibirsk (Ladoshkin V.S.) to Petrozavodsk (Selutsky A.B.); the Association was registered in the Republic of Karelia.
The most active members of TRIZ movement became the base for forming and developing TRIZ Association.
TRIZ Association held 4 meetings and 4 conferences with Altshuller H.S. in Petrozavodsk (1991, 1993, 1995, 1997). The Association has also held training seminars, distributed informational letters regularly and replenished TRIZ materials fund in CHOUNB. From 1990 till 1997 15 numbers of TRIZ magazine were issued (in 1992 the Board of TRIZ Association decided to establish joint-stock company “Protva-Prin” on the basis of TRIZ magazine editorship. The company was founded in order to ensure publication of this magazine – see “TRIZ magazine” #3.2.92 (1992).
3. About founding of the International TRIZ Association on the basis of TRIZ Association.
Since 1992 TRIZ Association has been working on the establishment of the International TRIZ Association. November 17-19, 1992, a meeting of the Board of TRIZ Association took place in Petrozavodsk. It was decided: “To charge Kurashova T.L. with the job of registering TRIZ Association as an international organization as quickly as possible. For this purpose she should request all necessary materials from abroad”. Taking this decision into consideration, beginning from the year 1992 two notations of the organization have been used in TRIZ magazine simultaneously: “TRIZ Association” and “International TRIZ Association”.
In 1993-1994 the Association together with the President of TRIZ Association worked on charter, registration procedure; many documents were drafted such as variants of the charter, agreement forms of the International TRIZ Association, documents for registration of MA TRIZ. There was a lot of work to do because of changes in legislation, structure and governing body of the Association. As a result MA TRIZ was officially registered as an international organization only in 1999.
TRIZ Association paved the way for the activities which were later performed by the International TRIZ Association: certification, fund of TRIZ materials on magnetic mediums, etc.
4. “The International TRIZ Association” – a successor to “TRIZ Association”
In view of the acute need for structural changes in TRIZ Association at the fifth meeting of the Association it was decided to establish the International TRIZ Association. In September 1997 Altshuller H.S. wrote in his letter to all members of TRIZ Association: “It is time to settle a complex legal case. At the fifth meeting of TRIZ Association (07.11.1997, Petrozavodsk) OO MA TRIZ (“The International TRIZ Association”, a not for profit association) was founded in accordance with the new Russian legislation”. Further Altshuller H.S. described structure and basic development lines of MA TRIZ. It was planned that MA TRIZ and TRIZ Association would have existed in parallel in order to give regions some time for structural reconstruction. That time regional organizations of MA TRIZ were founded (e.g. see minutes of OO “TRIZ-Karelia” establishment (07.02.1997). Altshuller H.S. has also appointed chief executive of TRIZ Association who had to ensure day-to-day operation of the organization.
MA TRIZ president, Altshuller H.S., has continued developing regional organizations. In his letter (December 1997) he explained these issues. In February 1998 Altshuller H.S. wrote about establishment of 14 regional organizations and gave a commission to liven up the work of MA TRIZ, especially the work on giving certificates and diplomas on behalf of MA TRIZ.
Many documents can provide us with information about the activities in which Altshuller H.S. was involved that time. For example, on the 21st of February, 1998, he granted Mitrophanov V.V. with a diploma of TRIZ Master. For this purpose he used headed note-paper of TRIZ Association. At the same time in his letter (February, 1998) he congratulated Mitrophanov V.V. on the jubilee on behalf of MA TRIZ. So it is obvious that in this period of time Altshuller H.S. performed presidential functions at both TRIZ Association and MA TRIZ. In March 1998 he adopted program of a training course as MA TRIZ president. In May 1998 Altshuller H.S. wrote that the work on forming regional organizations went on; he also gave detailed instructions on giving MA TRIZ certificates and diplomas. In September, 1998, just before decease, Altshuller H.S. prepared his last letter on behalf of MA TRIZ. In the letter he described content of MA TRIZ certificates and diplomas in more detail and listed nominees for TRIZ Master’s diplomas. The letter was passed to Zhuravleva V.N. for further distribution. All given TRIZ Masters’ diplomas were printed on the headed note-paper of MA TRIZ and signed by Altshuller H.S. and MA TRIZ secretary, Komarcheva L.D.
In September, 1998, Altshuller’s followers gathered in Petrozavodsk to say good-bye to him. They decided to proceed with the work which had been initiated by Altshuller H.S. and so to keep his memory. MA TRIZ has established the International Day of TRIZ which is now celebrated annually on the 15thof October in Altshuller’s birthday. Official registration of MA TRIZ proceeded (minutes of the meetings 1998-1999). As result on the 16th of September, 1999, International TRIZ Association was officially registered in the Department of Justice of the Russian Federation.
In 1999 a general agreement on succession of TRIZ Association and MA TRIZ activity, on assignment of all intellectual and other property of TRIZ Association to MA TRIZ.
MA TRIZ has always done its best to maintain respectful relationships with the heirs to Altshuller’s works. In 2003 MA TRIZ together with the heirs to Altshuller’s works published the book “To find an idea” by Altshuller H.S.
In 2003 a memorial board to Altshuller H.S. was installed on the building, where he lived, in Petrozavodsk.
MA TRIZ staff is also an evidence of MA TRIZ succession to TRIZ Association. This helps MA TRIZ to coordinate TRIZ movement all over the world. At the present, there is no other public organization with such a structure and authority which allow it to develop TRIZ in the world.
5. MATRIZ today
Under Construction