Growth Through Innovation: Managing the Technology-driven Enterprise

Capitalism produced entrepreneurs and property rights, the two basic pillars of innovation and growth. As the speed of technology is steadily increasing only radical innovation can be the name of the game. This book discusses technology and innovation trends by looking into historical examples and telling the latest business stories. It opens the discourse about pirates, pioneers, innovators and imitators; proposes the framework of dominant, science-driven and high-tech industry for innovation management and gives insights into intellectual property rights, industrial designs and technical risk management. Finally, it offers 8 important innovation principles for technology driven enterprises that have turned out to have a big effect on the outcome – and in the end on growth.

Capitalism produced entrepreneurs and property rights, the two basic pillars of innovation and growth. As the speed of technology is steadily increasing only radical innovation can be the name of the game. This book discusses technology and innovation trends by looking into historical examples and telling the latest business stories. It opens the discourse about pirates, pioneers, innovators and imitators; proposes the framework of dominant, science-driven and high-tech industry for innovation management, and gives insights into intellectual property rights, industrial designs and technical risk management. Finally, it offers 8 important innovation principles for technology driven enterprises that have turned out to have a big effect on the outcome – and in the end on growth.

Innovation is for a Swiss company like us, Georg Fischer AG, a key differentiator, to be constantly nurtured and fostered. This remarkable book gives all the theoretical background and practical insights on how to do it. Highly recommended for all those who include innovation as a core element of their strategy.

Yves Serra, CEO Georg Fischer AG

This book provides a refreshing look at the meaning of scientific progress and innovation. It provides a firework of ideas that help unveil the complexity of innovation which is nothing less than the driver of our globalized world.

Dr. Bernard Aebischer, Novartis International AG

The authors have created an outstanding and comprehensive book combining vast experience in teaching the management of technology with a longstanding experience in the core of technology driven companies. Having been myself responsible for innovation in a major company for so many years, I really recommend this book for all who want to understand that managing technology creates the wealth of society and the sustainability of companies.

Prof. Dr. Werner Bauer, former CTO of Nestlé

A well presented bridge between past experience and future challenges in coping with technology change. Most inspiring and instructive for management practitioners as well as students in the field of managing innovation driven companies.

Prof. Dr. Hugo Tschirky, former Professor for Technology and Innovation Management at ETH Zurich

Upon receiving the manuscript for Managing the technology driven enterprise: Growth through innovation, my first reaction was to disqualify the book as another attempt to cover too much in a single sweep without sufficient depth. I am now happy to say that I was wrong in that assessment. To my surprise, the authors have produced the volume that so many of us, who teach in the field of technology management, have been awaiting for far too long, This is a text that will be of great value, as an introduction for students entering the field or who are searching for an understanding of what the field is all about and how it might differ from what are commonly labelled management studies in business schools. The singular identity of technology management is communicated clearly in these pages. The book, however, does not stop at this limited level of use. In addition to and perhaps in spite of its value to newcomers, it will be of great value to experienced engineers and managers. Even those who believe that they have a good understanding of technology and how to manage it often lack complete comprehension of its true value and position in the complete spectrum of human activity.

Prof. Thomas J. Allen, Howard W. Johnson Professor of Management, Emeritus Professor of Engineering Systems from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)