TECHNOLOGICAL INVENTION AND INNOVATION
Invention
is the most important product of scientific knowledge. Without invention, science
would be merely inquiry for its own sake, serving few and helping no one.
Invention
involves the discovery of new processes, ideas or tools. Invention is
prioritary, meaning that only a new or previously unknown discovery can be
considered an invention, as opposed to the development of an already existing
one. Coming up with an invention requires priority, meaning that no one else
must have come up with the same (or similar) idea at any previous time.
Innovation,
on the other hand, involves the use or development of an invention for some
useful purpose. Innovations have often served as the point of departure for new
inventions. Innovation is typically less risky than invention, since it usually
deals with known parameters, qualities or quantities. Invention, on the other
hand, often involves a leap unto the unknown, where trial and error, the
unexpected or even chance can have a substantial influence on the outcome. The
high risk of invention can act as a deterrent to many organizations and individuals,
particularly when rewards cannot be clearly anticipated.
In many ways
invention is the wellhead of innovation, even though many inventions are often
rooted in existing innovations. Innovations could therefore not occur without
some previous inventive discovery, even though they can come full circle to
inspire new inventions. The relationship between invention and innovation often
becomes a synergistic circular flow that reproduces inventive talent for new
and varied purposes.
Technology
is the aggregation of all existing inventions and innovations. Technology can
be transferred across borders and between activities, as long as the requisite
knowledge and hardware can be made available. Inventive talent, in contrast,
can be transferred only if the individuals possessing it are willing to
relocate. Although inventive capabilities can be learned, considerable amounts
of time, education, knowledge and institutional support are typically required
for invention to be generated endogenously.
Societies and
economies that concentrate much inventive talent therefore become important
sources of invention. They also become potential sources of much innovation and
new technology. Intangibles play a major role in this process. The accumulation
of creativity, knowledge, skills and experience is a vital prerequisite for any
nation or region to become a major source of invention, innovation and new
technology. This process of accumulation requires time, since the talents and
intangibles needed may not be widely known, are usually difficult to specify,
or may not be marketed at all.
By measuring the
level of patented inventions available for innovation, the concept of innovative
capacity therefore provides an indication of the potential or capacity
for innovation. This indicator can also serve as a measure of inventive
output.
For a discussion of possible uses of the concept of innovative capacity, see Real World Applications.
For published work on the concept, see Publications.
Copyright © Luis Suarez-Villa. All rights
reserved.