A new study suggests that regularly changing workplaces or working from multiple locations can speed up the creative process. Nobel Prize–winning scientists who moved between locations began their prize-winning work years earlier than those who stayed put. The finding invites Thai researchers, artists, and innovators to consider mobility as a potential catalyst for breakthrough ideas.
Researchers from Ohio State University, New York University Abu Dhabi, and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis analyzed Nobel laureates in chemistry, medicine, and physics from 1901 to 2003. They found that moving to different environments, meeting new colleagues, and encountering fresh ideas can fuel creative breakthroughs. Data show that those who moved more frequently started Nobel-caliber work up to 2.6 years earlier than peers at a single institution. The study also notes that exchanges and collaborations with international centers can replicate this effect, even if time is split between two locations.
For Thai readers, the implications are timely. Thailand is intensifying efforts to cultivate world-class talent across science, health, education, culture, and tourism. Universities, government agencies, and private entities are exploring ways to nurture talent and attract international expertise. Understanding mobility’s value can influence career planning, funding strategies, and policies around sabbaticals and multi-institution collaborations.
The analysis describes a mechanism called “recombinant innovation.” Exposure to diverse ideas helps researchers combine knowledge in novel ways. Moving every two years, for example, was associated with a roughly two-year acceleration toward breakthrough work. Similar gains were observed with sabbaticals, exchanges, and collaborations with leading international centers, even when researchers split time between home institutions and abroad.
A co-author from the economics field explained that encountering different ideas in new environments prompts people to merge perspectives in innovative ways. Staying in one place can limit the influx of new ideas, making major breakthroughs harder to achieve.
Economic findings indicate substantial time savings: what might have taken a decade to reach could be shortened by about a quarter for mobile researchers. Even infrequent moves—once every five years—yielded meaningful reductions in time to breakthrough work. The results were robust across Nobel fields and eras, underscoring mobility’s potential as a universal driver of creativity.
In the Thai context, universities often emulate global research hubs, yet many scholars value institutional loyalty and long-term attachments. Cultural and bureaucratic barriers can make cross-location work or international study challenging. The creative sector likewise faces financial and logistical obstacles to global exposure. Yet international experience has historically shaped Thai researchers, scientists, and artists, broadening worldviews and enriching output.
Importantly, the study’s authors suggest the mobility advantage likely extends beyond the sciences to painters and other creatives. They argue that a broader horizon—meeting people with different ideas and environments—can spark new expressions and innovations across domains. This insight could inform strategies for Thai startups, educators, and cultural professionals seeking fresh inspiration.
Policy directions worth considering include promoting structured academic sabbaticals, facilitating inter-university exchanges, and encouraging industry partnerships with global firms to accelerate innovation. For artists and designers, more grants and fellowships supporting stints in unfamiliar settings could unlock new creative potential. Corporate leaders may also foster career paths that reward diverse experiences, both locally and internationally.
Challenges remain. Public-sector restrictions, rigid contracts, and cultural expectations around stability can impede mobility. Policymakers and institutions should examine these barriers to ensure artists, researchers, and educators can access mobility’s creative benefits.
Looking ahead, researchers call for more study of short-term experiences—sabbaticals, conferences, and remote collaborations—and how digital connectivity might deliver some mobility benefits without permanent relocation. The strongest gains, however, appear tied to physical movement and immersion in new environments.
The actionable message for Thai readers is clear: whenever possible, seek opportunities to work, study, or collaborate in new places. Students should consider exchange programs; researchers should pursue inter-institution partnerships; creatives should explore opportunities abroad or in different Thai regions. Organizations should consider policies that reduce barriers to cross-location work and encourage diverse experiences.
In short, great ideas often bloom away from routine settings. Fresh environments can renew thinking, spark novel approaches, and accelerate outstanding achievements. As one economist on the study notes, moving to a different context may unlock ways of thinking that stay hidden in familiar surroundings.
For more details, the study is discussed in science journalism coverage and the International Economic Review for the original publication.