“Innovation has certainly moved to centre stage recently. It seems that almost everyone now has a view, and at times anything goes. But there is a very solid foundation of excellent theoretical and empirical analysis that often gets lost in the current fashionable buzz around the topic.
This goes back to Schumpeter (who popularised the term entrepreneur and gave it its modern meaning) and Solow, who both demonstrated the crucial contribution that innovation makes to economic growth. More recent contributors include Abernathy and Utterback, who identified the product-process innovation lifecycle; von Hippel, who has explored the sources of innovation; Freeman, who examined the policy aspects of innovation and created the standard definitions now used to measure innovation around the world; Pavitt, who examined the role of intellectual property rights such as patents in innovation, and Christensen, who has articulated the notion of ‘disruptive innovation.’
Studies range from the careful empirical to the deeply theoretical and have moved our understanding on apace. However, the challenge remains of communicating these insights. This blog series seeks to do just that – bring researchers and practitioners together to discuss, share and debate this fascinating topic, which is crucially important for building a better world.”
The Open University 