A flood of innovation will soon hit the United States, Europe, and Asia. This outpouring will be essential to ending the current global recession.

As we all languish under the specter of war, terrorism, layoffs, and accounting scandals, the technology sector is being especially hard hit-so hard hit that many say recovery is at least two years away. However, I believe a turnaround could come in half that time.

I make this assertion partly because my colleagues and I visit regularly with technology leaders. I know the innovation machine-doing real stuff, not fluff-has never let up. And more fundamentally, smart high-tech leaders know they can't simply economize out of recession. Instead, they must innovate to recovery. As Intel CEO Craig Barrett said last spring at a software development forum, "The only way out of a recession is basically to bring out new products, new technology, new capability, and make the end user excited about what you have to offer."