Ask HN: What's an Innovation for You?

I'm doing a research about meaning of an innovation in the IT world. What's make easier to be innovative at work, what's make it harder. I've found that the research what I'm doing at my current work spans a good discussion about the topic, I'd like to created a forum here. Hence I'd like to ask you following set of questions, but please mind that open opinion it's equally important :

* what's you occupation, and how many years you've been working at IT

* in your opinion, what's an innovation?

* what's make it easier to be innovative at work.

* can you give an example of recent innovation what you've witnessed (if not confidential)