Perspectives on Innovation

Innovation has become a major field of study in economics, management, sociology, science and technology, and history. Case studies, empirical models, appreciative analyses and formal theories abound. However, after several decades of study on innovation, and so many different types of contribution, there are still many phenomena we know very little about. The debate on innovation still has much to deliver; important questions remain unanswered and many problems require solution. Bringing together many leading figures in the field, this collection aims to address these concerns by offering detailed analyses of topics that are crucial for understanding innovation. In addition, it offers discussions of topics that researchers are just beginning to explore and of topics that continue to defy our efforts to understand and systematise. This important and wide-ranging collection will be essential reading for academic researchers and graduate students who wish to gain a broad overview of frontier-research in innovation.

'Research on the economics of innovation has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence in recent years. In this volume, leading scholars in the field focus on gaps in our understanding of innovation, rather than summarizing what is known. Its emphasis on gaps in knowledge, combined with the broad perspectives that deal with industrial dynamics, technology policy, firm strategy, and institutional issues, make this volume indispensable to scholars and students alike.' David Mowery, William A. and Betty H. Hasler Professor of New Enterprise Development, University of California at Berkeley, 'Malerba and Brusoni have done a wonderful job bringing together a super-star cast of leading scholars of innovation from a variety of disciplines. The contributions offer fresh perspectives on the seminal problems of the innovation field as well as thought-provoking analysis of completely new questions. This wonderful collection of essays defines the state-of-the-art in the field of innovation. It tells us where we have been, and more importantly, where we should be going. It is a 'must-read' for any scholar doing research or teaching in the field of innovation, and will become a standard reference for years to come.' Gary Pisano, Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School, 'This is an excellent volume with contributions from many of the world's top scholars on technological innovation. It combines national and enterprise level perspectives and will be a compelling read for those deeply interested in the innovation process, whether academics, policy makers, or executives.' David J. Teece, Mitsubishi Bank Professor of International Business and Finance and Director of the Institute of Management, Innovation and Organization, Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley

Stefano Brusoni is Associate Professor of Applied Economics at Bocconi University, Milan. He is Deputy Director of CESPRI and coordinator of EMIT (MSc in Economics of Innovation and Technology). He obtained his PhD from the University of Sussex (UK) in 2002. His research interests include the division and coordination of innovative labour, the organizational implications of modular design strategies, and the analysis of knowledge production and distribution processes within and across firms. He has published his work in leading international journals such as Administrative Science Quarterly, Organization Science, Research Policy, Organization Studies, Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Industrial and Corporate Change, the Journal of Evolutionary Economics and the Journal of Management Studies. Franco Malerba is Professor of Industrial Economics and Director of CESPRI at Bocconi University, Milan.