Successful Industrial Innovations

Book excerpt: This report summarizes the results of a study conducted over the years 1963 to 1967 by the National Planning Association for the National Science Foundation. This project had its origins in the deep and continuing interest of the National Science Foundation in the question of the impact of science and technology on society. The objective was to provide empirical knowledge about the factors which stimulate or advance the application in the civilian economy of scientific and technological findings. As the project developed it took the form of a statistical study of innovations in selected industries, the industries-railroads and railroad suppliers, computer manufacturers and suppliers, and housing suppliers - purposively selected to provide a view of the innovation process in industries with differential involvement in, and dependence on, current technological advances. The results are presented in a manner intended to highlight the differences, or similarities, of the innovative process in the several industries. In. a similar manner, differences and similarities between original innovations--those which are new to the economy as well as the firm--are juxtaposed where relevant with corresponding information for adopted innovations, i.e., innovations new to the firm but not new to the economy.