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Innovation in Low-Tech Industries: Current Conditions and Future Prospects

In: Low-tech Innovation

Author

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  • Hartmut Hirsch-Kreinsen

    (Tu Dortmund University)

Abstract

This paper deals with an industrial sector that will be referred to as “low-technology” or non-research-intensive and that comprises mostly mature industries. In recent years, a growing body of innovation literature has dealt with the relevance and prospects of low- and medium-technology (LMT) in advanced economies. This research focus is above all motivated by criticism of the mainstream of innovation debate with its high-tech focus. However, LMT research can instructively show that non-research-intensive industries are surprisingly innovative and play an essential role for the development of modern economies. Following the literature, the industrial LMT sector holds forward-looking innovation potential based on both the intelligent modification of available technologies and existing knowledge and their combination with new high-tech components. Therefore, the research findings outlined here culminate in the thesis that “hybrid” innovations open up promising development perspectives for traditional industries. Hybrid innovations are understood to be innovations based on distinct market-oriented modifications of available technologies and of existing knowledge as well as especially on their combination with new high-tech components. The methodological base of the argumentation is a systematic analysis of LMT industry research results from approximately the last 10 years.

Suggested Citation

  • Hartmut Hirsch-Kreinsen, 2015. "Innovation in Low-Tech Industries: Current Conditions and Future Prospects," Springer Books, in: Oliver Som & Eva Kirner (ed.), Low-tech Innovation, edition 127, chapter 0, pages 17-32, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-319-09973-6_2
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-09973-6_2
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Muhammad Nouman & Mohammad Sohail Yunis & Muhammad Atiq & Owais Mufti & Abdul Qadus, 2022. "‘The Forgotten Sector’: An Integrative Framework for Future Research on Low- and Medium-Technology Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-19, March.
    2. Hullova, Dusana & Simms, Christopher Don & Trott, Paul & Laczko, Pavel, 2019. "Critical capabilities for effective management of complementarity between product and process innovation: Cases from the food and drink industry," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 339-354.
    3. Woodfield, Paul J. & Ooi, Yat Ming & Husted, Kenneth, 2023. "Commercialisation patterns of scientific knowledge in traditional low- and medium-tech industries," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    4. Matthies, Eike & Thomä, Jörg & Bizer, Kilian, 2022. "A hidden source of innovation? Revisiting the impact of initial vocational training on technological innovation," ifh Working Papers 33/2022, Volkswirtschaftliches Institut für Mittelstand und Handwerk an der Universität Göttingen (ifh), revised 2022.
    5. Iacobucci, Donato & Perugini, Francesco, 2023. "Innovation performance in traditional industries: Does proximity to universities matter," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    6. Thomä, Jörg, 2017. "DUI mode learning and barriers to innovation - the case of Germany," ifh Working Papers 7 (2017), Volkswirtschaftliches Institut für Mittelstand und Handwerk an der Universität Göttingen (ifh).

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