Managing Path-Breaking Innovations: CERN-ATLAS, Airbus, and Stem Cell Research

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Path-breaking innovations are about instigating fundamental changes in people, organizations, communities, and economies. They are complex, continuous, and evolutionary processes that take considerable time, resources, and the efforts of many individuals and organizations to be accomplished successfully. Representing distinct departures from existing practices, they differ from other types of innovation, such as product extensions and incremental improvements. By examining path-breaking innovation processes through in-depth analysis of several large-scale initiatives around the world, the authors explore how profound changes in product, process, and service can be explained and managed, and consider the practical implications for scientific, organizational, institutional, and political leaders concerned with channeling innovation toward economic growth. In-depth analysis of science and technology initiatives at CERN-ATLAS, Airbus, and in stem cell research, the authors explore and illuminate how profound changes in product, process, and service can be explained and managed. Covering such issues as organizational culture, types of knowledge, and large-scale project management and resource distribution, the authors consider the practical implications of radical innovation for scientific, organizational, institutional, and political leaders concerned with channeling innovation toward economic growth.

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Liyanage, Wink and Nordberg explore the connection between scientific progress and patterns of innovations by investigating three central programs: the particle physics experiments in the CERN-ATLAS collaboration, aviation research at the Airbus consortium, and biotechnology advances in stem cell research groups. Describing path-breaking innovation as a constellation of events, situations and manifestations of change, learning, leadership and motivation, the authors organize their study around the themes of change processes, work and production philosophies, strategies and collaborations, change environment, spatial dimension, leadership and funding. They conclude that path-breaking innovations are based on good science embedded in a social-system of openness, tolerance, respect and patience. * SciTech Book News *

Author Bio

Shantha Liyanage is Associate Professor in the Management and Employment Relations Department, The University of Auckland, New Zealand, where he leads the Technology, Knowledge and Innovation Management Program. He has worked in industry, government, and academic institutions around the world in the management of knowledge, innovation, and technology, and served as Principal Research Fellow of the Australian Research Council's funded Special Research Center for Reseach Policy. Previously on the faculty of the University of Queensland, he has published widely in the field. His most recent book is Serendipitous and Strategic Innovation (Praeger, 2006). Rudiger Wink is Professor of International Economics and serves as Director of the international program at the Hochschule fur Technik, Wirtschaft und Kulture (University of Applied Sciences), Leipzig, Germany. He also holds the positions of Senior Research Fellow at the Rurh Research Institute for Innovation and Regional Policy, Faculty of Economics at the University of Bochum, and Director of the European Program at Cologne Business School. He has published in the fields of institutional, regional, and environmental economics, innovation, and knowledge management. Markus Nordberg is the Resources Coordinator of the ATLAS project at CERN, Switzerland, where his responsibilities include budget planning and resources allocation for the ATLAS project. He has also served as Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Centrum voor Bedrijfseconomie, Faculty ESP-Solvay Business School, University of Brussels, and as a member of the Association of Finnish Parliament Members and Scientists, TUTKAS.