Non-Technological and Non-Economic Innovations: Contributions to a Theory of Robust Innovation

Abstract:     
There is a peculiar dissonance in innovation research. On the one hand, the label innovation is applied to almost everything: new products, processes, services, methods, techniques. Even the diffusion of innovations to all spheres of society is called innovation. On the other hand, we find that the main focus of innovation research is still on bringing technology to market.

This dissonance provoked the central questions discussed at the 2nd International Conference on Indicators and Concepts of Innovation (ICICI 2008) on «Non-technological and non-economic innovations and their impact on economy» hosted by the Competence Centre for Management at the Berne School of Business and Administration: What forms and dimensions of non-technological and non-economic innovations can nonetheless be found both theoretically and empirically? What impact do these innovations have on the economy? Are there actually innovations without a non-technological and non-economic dimension, viz. purely technological or economic innovations?

Consisting of selected answers to these questions, this volume presents international scholarly approaches beyond the «technology goes economic market» mainstream of innovation research. They are integrated in a theoretical framework for the analysis of socially robust innovations, i.e. innovations that succeed on more than one market and are therefore both more sustainable and more profitable.

Keywords: Social innovation, NTI, non-technological innovation, robust innovation, robust knowledge, social systems, innovation theory

JEL Classification: A14, O31, O31

Accepted Paper Series