Revisiting the innovation dynamics theory: How effectiveness- and efficiency-oriented process innovations accompany product innovations

Abstract

In the innovation dynamics theory one distinguishes between product and process innovations within a technology, showing the different dynamics of each innovation type over time. In our paper, we operationalize product and process innovations as specific claim categories of patents, and also develop a semantic categorization of patent claims into product and process claims. For testing our approach we select ten technologies with similar characteristics from the field of storage technologies and present a panel data analysis, so that we cannot only provide empirical insights into their dynamics, but are also able to link the time series to the phases described by the theory. We are able to specify the time lag between product and process claims in a statistically significant manner. Furthermore, we expand the hitherto existing theory by demonstrating that, as they are required for even the earliest product innovations, effectiveness-oriented process innovations are introduced in the early stages of a technology beside lagged efficiency-oriented process innovations with a focus on cost reduction. Our method provides researchers with a new possibility to assess and forecast innovation dynamics; it also enables managers to obtain early information about a technology.