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Industrializing innovation--the next revolution
Sharma S., Meyer K., Springer International Publishing, New York, NY, 2019. 216 pp. Type: Book (978-3-030124-29-8)
Date Reviewed: Jun 26 2020

This is a serious book written by serious people about the serious business of innovating innovation. Sharma and Meyer share their considerable knowledge and experience, supported by substantial data and well-researched references, to expound and expand upon what could be described as an innovation crisis--lots of ideas generated, little value realized.

Industrializing innovation--the next revolution consists of 16 chapters divided into three parts. In Part 1, the authors use an innovation logjam metaphor to characterize the barriers that impede progress across society. They critique university research and development (R&D), large corporations, venture capital, and existing innovation ecosystems. Gaynor refers to these impediments within an organization as the “innovation prevention department (IPD)” [1].

In Part 2, Sharma and Meyer propose industrializing innovation as a remedy to the innovation logjam, analogous to the industrial revolution in which an “innovation factory” would utilize systematic methods and processes to create and realize more value. They reexamine each element discussed in Part 1, and recommend a new design to achieve this goal. Central to this is the creation or redesign of innovation hubs, an integrating structure intended to provide strategy, knowledge, resources, governance, tactics, and collaborative leadership that are essential to improving the flow of ideas. I call this innovation logistics.

Chapter 10 specifically addresses corporate innovation and compares and contrasts it with innovation in startups. This is fresh and cleverly done. The chapter concludes with a too-brief paragraph on disruption; it does not mention the late Dr. Christensen’s work [2], which I expected to see. I would have also liked to have seen some discussion on absorptive capacity, path dependence, and resistance to change, which can inhibit innovation in organizations. However, elements of these theories and concepts are explored in a novel way in Part 1’s chapter 3, “Large Corporations Are Innovation Challenged.” Here, the authors depict what I would describe as a systemic physics model of corporate innovation that defines risk, fear, and disruption as a component of friction. This is a fresh and noteworthy contribution.

Part 3 provides insights about how to scale innovation globally. Topics covered in this section include innovation deserts (the authors contend my hometown is one), smart cities, regional innovation hubs, and innovation challenges in large geographies--India, China, and Africa.

The book concludes with two appendices. Appendix 1 contains essays from experts who also generously share their design thinking about innovating innovation. Appendix 2 discusses women entrepreneurs and their success as innovators. This could and should have been a full chapter.

Industrializing innovation is a bold book with critical thoughts about how to bust the innovation logjam. It is essential reading for university administrators, founders, venture capitalists, innovation managers, organizational designers, and policymakers. Readers interested in exploring the concept of an innovation factory further are referred to [3]. Readers curious about the use of standards as a tool for innovation should see the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) TC 279 on innovation management (https://committee.iso.org/home/tc279). Those that would like to explore the relationship between innovation and organization design are welcome at the European Organization Design Forum (https://www.eodf.eu/).

Reviewer:  Ernest Hughes Review #: CR147004 (2012-0285)
1) Gaynor, G. H. Innovation by design. AMACOM, New York, NY, 2002.
2) Christensen, C. M. The innovator’s dilemma. Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA, 1997.
3) Gertner, J. The idea factory: Bell Labs and the great age of Amercian innovation. Penguin Press, New York, NY, 2012.
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