Summary Science, Business and Policy

A snapshot of the summary - Science, Business and Policy

• 2 Technology

• 2.2.2 The power of technology

• Why is there a debate about technology?

  People are afraid that technologies control us, on a personal, cultural or economical way
• What are the 4 relationships between humans and technology?

  1. Technology to exploit the world directly (glasses)
  2. Technology to exploit the world indirectly (x-ray image, more knowledge needed)
  3. Technology as part of the environment (CD player)
  4. Technology in the background (traffic light)

• 2.3 Embeddedness of technology

• What are the three levels of technological innovation?

  1. Niche level (development of concepts; idea for practical use)
  2. Socio-technological system (system needed to bring the concept on the market)
  3. Macro-level (cultural and physical characteristics of society)
• Why are most innovations incremental (gradual)?

  Systems are stabilized through numerous kinds of factors
• What is an incremental innovation?

  • Feature improvement
  • Cost reduction

  
  Of products within existing business models and current markets
• When is a radical innovation possible?

  When the innovation complement political, cultural and economic changes, resulting in new regime conventions and the involvement of these actors

• 2.3.2 Stages of innovation

• What are the 5 stages of innovation development?

  1. Scientific research
  2. Technological research
  3. Product development
  4. Market introduction
  5. Societal diffusion
• What happens in the technological research stage regarding innovation?

  Scientists explore different technological variants
• What happens in the product development stage of an innovation?

  The concept will be connected to
  

  • Marketing
  • General strategies
  • Organisation issues
  • Demands of retailers, suppliers and end users
• Why will an innovation gradually lose its flexibility?

  An innovation gets connected to
  

  • Rules
  • Societal parties
  • Branding
  • Infrastructures (spoor)