Continuum continues their series Open for Branding, where they are sharing, from start to finish, their latest branding project for the new, nomadic Design Museum Boston.

Wow. Last week, we posted our Design Museum Boston branding concepts for feedback, and more than 1700 people checked out our survey and 274 completed it. The greatest part: everyone aligned--Continuum, Design Museum Boston, and you—on which directions were the strongest.

This fall, you could be one of six clever individuals working side-by-side with 24 top PepsiCo leaders, helping them rethink and work through key business challenges. The company has partnered with Continuum to help them run an eight-session fellowship problem where they will bring in innovative, interdisciplinary thinkers to work on small teams with Continuum coaches to tackle real-world design challenges, moving through the process from user-research to rapid prototyping.

The first session will begin on October 15th and continue for eight consecutive weeks. In addition to the an opportunity to participate in the workshops, the six selected applicants will receive a $4,000 dollar stipend. Sessions will be held in New York City, Purchase, NY (PepsiCo HQ), and Continuum's Boston office.

You must apply before September 15th. For an application and guidelines, email innovationfellows (at) pepsico (dot) com.

The Department of Energy just selected 20 Universities to compete in building a solar-powered house and Parsons School of Design made the cut for the 2011 competition.

Parsons is teaming up with the Stevens Institute of Technology to provide solar-powered Habitat for Humanity housing for residents of the low-income Deanwood neighborhood of Ward 7 in Washington, D.C.

The design consists of two modules that unite to form a functioning solar duplex. Each module is sustainable on its own, but they achieve peak efficiency when joined together. Module One will be assembled in Deanwood, and Module Two will be displayed on the National Mall for Solar Decathlon 2011. After the competition, the two modules will be connected to form a duplex that can house two families.

According to Parsons, "the duplex's primary power is generated using hybrid photovoltaic thermal cells, which produce electric energy and collect thermal energy to boost overall efficiency."

The dean of Parsons, Joel Towers, tells me that the Solar Decathlon projects involves dozens of classes in architecture, urban planning, design and technology.

When I began the Most Innovative Companies annual survey with BCG's James Andrew, nearly all the top 50 companies were American. This year, more than half of the most innovative companies in the world came from Asia and Europe. Despite all hoopla and blah-blah about innovation among CEOs in the US, the actual building of the rituals and processes that produce innovation is increasingly taking place outside America. With the S&P 500 stuck at 1999 levels, the profit proof is in the pudding. There has been an innovation mirage in the US over the past decade, perhaps two.

The new story lies in the BRICs--China, India and Brazil. Last year Greater China (including Taiwan) was 46 out of 50 in the survey. This year it is tied with Japan. Lenovo, BYD, Haier, China Mobile and HTC are on the list.