Restoring the Innovative Edge: Driving the Evolution of Science and Technology (Innovation and Technology in the World Economy)

Considerable evidence indicates that the U.S. is falling behind when it comes to innovation. In part, this shift stems from the globalization of research and the advancement of other nations. But, it also arises from a widespread failure to adapt to the competitive environment generated by the evolution of science and technology. The objective of this book is to provide possible remedies for eight key obstacles that the U.S. faces in restoring its innovative edge. Understanding that these remedies are complex, each chapter also discusses the dilemmas and impediments that make change a challenge. Unlike other books that suggest simple fixes to the U.S. innovation crisis, this book argues that the management of innovation requires multiple interventions at four different levels: in research teams, organizations, economic and non-economic sectors, and society at large. Restoring the Innovative Edge offers specific recommendations for new forms of data collection, fresh ideas about cooperation between the public and the private sectors in manufacturing research, and a policy evaluation model that measures technical progress—and obstacles to it—in real time. Moreover, the book's multi-level perspective allows for the integration of a number of specialties within Sociology and Management around the theme of a new socio-economic paradigm, built on ideas of evolution and failed evolution. Contents ......Page 10 List of Figures and Tables......Page 12 Acknowledgments......Page 14 Introduction......Page 20 1. Adopting Strategic Opportunities That Fit Evolutionary Patterns: Step One in Restoring the Innovative Edge......Page 58 2. Broadening the Vision of Research Teams: Step Two in Restoring the Innovative Edge......Page 97 3. Stimulating the Cross-Fertilization of Ideas: Step Three in Restoring the Innovative Edge......Page 129 4. Integrating the Organization and Changing Its Context: Steps Four and Five in Restoring the Innovative Edge......Page 157 5. Connecting the Research Arenas in the Idea Innovation Network: Step Six in Restoring the Innovative Edge......Page 181 6. Creating Cooperation Between the Public and the Private Sectors: Step Seven in Restoring the Innovative Edge......Page 120 7. Providing Timely Feedback on Organization al Blockages: Step Eight in Restoring the Innovative Edge......Page 251 Epilogue: A New Socioeconomic Paradigm......Page 272 Notes......Page 288 Bibliography......Page 306 Index......Page 316 About the Author......Page 326 This book provides a framework for restoring America's innovative edge by driving the evolution of science and technology, and ameliorating obstacles and blockages that cause failures in this process. The book's perspective is informed not only by the author's decades of research on innovation, but also his recent consulting with national public research laboratories and agencies.