Innofusion or Diffusation? The Nature of Technological Development in Robotics

Abstract

In this paper, it is argued that the process of "innofusion" - that is, the collapsing together of innovation and diffusion - is of fundamental importance in the development of process innovations such as industrial robotics. With innofusion, important, even radical, innovations can evolve in the context of use, during the implementation process. Innofusion is characteristic of a certain type of technology - configurational technologies - which are distinct from system technologies, in that they lack an overall system level dynamic. Configurational technologies are particularly subject to influence by contingencies, and particularly dependent for their development upon the role played by users. The structure of knowledge associated with technological innovation is examined to identify the role of different agents in the technological innovation process. In these terms, innofusion can be characterised as an experimental learning process which crucially involves a range of agents across an industrial sector, and across several organisations. Consequently, policies aimed at encouraging industry sector learning effects may be the most appropriate for facilitating innofusion.