Industrial Research And Innovation In Business

'It will be useful to those who already know something about the topic and want to expand their knowledge.' - Kenneth Lipartito, University of Houston, US In this new path-breaking volume, David Edgerton brings to the forefront research on the role of business and its influence on industrial research and innovation. It is commonplace to acknowledge the role of science and technology, and research and innovation specifically, in transforming the twentieth century world. Other studies, however, focuses on scientific and engineering research in general, or technological systems and paradigms, or on government-funded initiatives. Industrial Research and Innovation in Business concentrates on business and its contribution to innovation and its role in producing and using new technologies.

America's global competitiveness depends heavily on the fruits of scientific research. In decades past, industrial laboratories like AT&T's Bell Labs & the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center were wellsprings of powerful new technologies. Yet the competitive environment of the 1980s & 1990s has forced managers to reassess industrial research as a business priority. In Engines of Innovation, top technical managers of Alcoa, IBM, Intel, & Xerox, along with leading scholars of the history & economics of technological change, discuss the consequences of this paradox for industry & the economy as a whole. The authors explore new ideas for linking research with commercial markets & identify the policy choices for industry, government, & universities as together they shape a new era in industrial research.

Traditionally, industrial laboratories like AT&T's Bell Labs and the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center were wellsprings of powerful new technologies. Yet in the competitive environment of the 1980s and 1990s research activities have been downsized, redirected, and restructured within most of the firms that once were major sponsors of industrial research. In this book, top technical managers of Alcoa, IBM, Intel, and Xerox along with leading scholars of the history and economics of technological change discuss the consequences of this trend. They explore new ideas for linking research with commercial markets and identify the evolving roles for industry, government, and universities in shaping a new era in industrial research.

Industry and academia should capture significant value through adopting design-led innovation to improve opportunities for success. Skills and capabilities should serve as a basis for adopting new breakthroughs in design-driven innovation. The development of an infrastructure and centers of excellence with the capacity to respond to new market needs, combined with enhanced networking capabilities, will allow companies to be more innovative and competitive. The Handbook of Research on Driving Industrial Competitiveness With Innovative Design Principles is an essential publication that focuses on the relationship between innovation and competitiveness in business. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics including open innovation, business incubators, and competitiveness dynamics, this book is ideally designed for entrepreneurs, government officials, executives, managers, investors, policymakers, researchers, academicians, and students interested in furthering their knowledge of pertinent topics on product design and commercialization, new models for academia-industry partnerships, and regional entrepreneurial ecosystems based on design principles.

Innovation is the means by which organizations survive and thrive in uncertain and turbulent conditions. Innovation management has become a well-established field of research, teaching and practice, with a substantial literature. As a broad-based research field, contributions stem from an array of perspectives including science, economics, engineering and psychology. Innovation is crucial for economic and social progress, and it needs to be managed in order to be beneficial. Innovation Management: A Research Overview provides a concise introduction to the best research on innovation management. It covers four main themes: foundational studies, key concepts and frameworks, important empirical studies, and current and emerging themes. The research discussed includes classic studies, with core insights in the field, key thinking on strategies and processes for innovation, well-established and novel research methods, and issues of greatest contemporary importance. This shortform book provides direction through the maze of research on the nature, processes and outcomes of innovation management, and provides an invaluable introduction to the literature on innovation management for students and professionals.

Innovation in Industrial Research gives new and experienced researchers insight into how they can improve the quality of their industrial research. It discusses the methods currently available to researchers, from quality tools to the scientific method. Key aspects of research are covered, including: publications, patents, ethics and management of project teams.The book also examines responsible conduct in research, and illustrates mistakes made by researchers and how these can affect the reputation of the research being undertaken or the institutions involved. Finally, the author analyses ways of achieving innovation in industrial research.Innovation in Industrial Research is a valuable resource for researchers working for industries or the public sector, managers of research projects, consultants and graduate students.