Technology Push and Demand Pull Perspectives in Innovation Studies: Current Findings and Future Research Directions

Abstract

This study updates the debate on the sources of innovation. Using techniques like factor analysis, multidimensional scaling, and pathfinder analysis, we examine the most influential articles that have dealt with the topic. In addition to confirming the role of technology and demand as sources of innovation, our analysis provides two main findings. The first illustrates how competences enable firms to match technology with demand and capitalize on technology and demand as sources of innovation. The second highlights a distinction between external and internal sources of innovations. The sources of innovation can be purely external or internally generated competences that enable the firm to integrate external knowledge within its boundaries. Our work contributes to the classic debate by providing a more granular understanding of how technology and demand interact. In discussing our findings, we link our framework to strategy, innovation and entrepreneurship studies that expressly call for a better understanding of technology and demand factors in value creation and capture.

Keywords: technology push, demand pull, innovation, bibliometrics, co-citation analysis

JEL Classification: M1, M13