What is innovation? Examples, types of innovation

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:43

Innovations are a key factor in the economic development of modern states. Their development and implementation require significant resources - labor, financial, organizational, but the solution of relevant tasks is necessary in order to ensure the efficiency of the country's economy. What are innovations? What are the conditions for their successful implementation?

Essence of innovation

Innovation is commonly understood as some innovation in the field of technological developments, implementation of management decisions, organization of business processes, which is based on the use of advanced achievements in various fields of science. Examples of innovation can thus be observed in a variety of economic sectors. An important criterion for recognizing a particular solution as innovative is a fundamental improvement in a particular technological or management process during its implementation.

Classification of innovations

The corresponding type of innovation can be represented by different categories. Thus, the classification of innovations is widespread based on:

- degree of novelty;

- object of application;

- potential implementation scale;

- factors that causeddevelopment of a specific solution.

Let's study them in more detail.

Classification of innovations by novelty

Let's consider, for example, the specifics of the criteria that reflect the degree of novelty. They are divided into:

- radical;

- optimizing;

- modifying.

Innovations of the first type involve the introduction of the results of fundamentally new, advanced developments that can affect the economy on the scale of the infrastructure of entire industries, areas of science and technology. What radical innovations have recently been introduced into the world socio-economic processes? Examples of developments of the corresponding type are mobile Internet, 3D printing, or, for example, the introduction of cryptocurrencies as an alternative to traditional money.

All mentioned technologies have influenced the global socio-economic processes, and this impact has a huge potential for further growth. At the same time, the development of relevant innovations can be expressed not only in quantitative terms, for example, in the form of mobile Internet coverage or the introduction of 3D printing in new industries, but also in qualitative terms. For example, in the form of increasing the speed of uploading and downloading files from devices, upgrading 3D printers in order to print technologically complex parts and devices with their help.

There are optimizing innovations. Sometimes they are called improvers. Their essence lies in the implementation of solutions capable of providing local optimization of certain technical or managerial processes. What are the most notable enhancersinnovation? Examples of such innovations can also be seen in different areas. In principle, they can be traced within the technologies noted above, that is, in the field of mobile solutions, in the field of 3D printing, in the financial services segment.

If we talk about mobile technologies, the invention of multi-touch touch screens, which can recognize multiple simultaneous finger taps on the display of a smartphone or tablet, can be considered as an improving innovation in this area. Of course, today you will not surprise the owner of a mobile gadget with this function, but the first screens of the corresponding type of devices did not support “multi-touch”. There are also enhancement innovations galore in 3D printing. Examples of these are the adaptation of 3D printers to new types of materials. So, if the first devices for three-dimensional printing could mainly use special types of plastic, then modern modifications of 3D printers can, for example, cast metal products, print them from nylon, photopolymers.

There are so-called modification innovations. Their essence is to improve productivity, consumer characteristics, and the effectiveness of existing solutions. What are some notable modern modification innovations? An example of a relevant solution is the invention of a new process technology for the production of computer processors.

Several years ago, chips produced with a process technology of about 80-90 nm were consideredadvanced. Today, the desired indicator to ensure optimal performance of the microcircuit is no more than 30-40 nm. At the same time, modern models of processors on a PC operate on a manufacturing process of about 14 nm.

Classification of innovations: object of application

The next criterion for classifying innovations is the object of application. So, according to it, researchers single out innovations: infrastructural, technological, process, and also complex. What are their specifics?

Infrastructural innovations are related to the production of goods and services, using fixed assets of industrial enterprises. What kind of innovation could it be? An example of such innovations is the introduction of robotic factory lines. Alternatively, they can be used in machine-building, instrument-making enterprises.

There are technological innovations - they are aimed at introducing new approaches to the production of goods and the provision of services. As a rule, their implementation involves the use of fundamentally different technical solutions. What kind of innovation could it be? An example of such is the use of mobile payment terminals for plastic cards. Their implementation allows you to accept payments from customers almost anywhere that has a mobile Internet coverage area, as a result of which a company selling goods or services can significantly increase its turnover.

There are process innovations. They involve the establishment in the company of certain organizational structures that allow the implementation of fundamentally new management decisions. What can besimilar innovations? An example of such is the introduction of a KPI system, that is, key performance indicators of the organization's employees.

Classification of innovations: scale

Another criterion for classifying innovations is the scale of application. It involves the division of innovations into intra-corporate, intra-industry, and inter-industry.

Innovations of the first type involve implementation at the level of a particular enterprise. Often they are trade secrets, so their dissemination outside the firm can be limited. Innovations of the corresponding type can be very different. For example - related to the production and use of fundamentally new substances, mechanisms, programs in production processes - which can significantly increase the efficiency of the company.

Intra-industry innovations - innovations used by several enterprises operating in the same sector of the economy. For example, the robotization of factory lines, which we mentioned above, can be consistently implemented at the facilities of most firms in the segment, especially if they are direct competitors (that is, not merged into a holding company) and are interested in continuous improvement of production.

There are cross-industry innovation. They involve the introduction of various innovations at the level of the national economic system with the participation of enterprises representing different sectors of the economy. Examples of innovations of the appropriate type are the use of electronic signatures (in reporting, indocument flow) by various enterprises, the introduction of remote methods of managing the infrastructure of the organization.

The next criterion for classifying innovations is based on the factors in which they occur. Thus, reactive and strategic innovations are distinguished. What are their specifics?

Classification of innovation: innovation development factors

Reactive innovations are innovations that were developed due to the urgent need to modernize production - in the company, in the industry, in order to strengthen the competitiveness of business entities. An example of reactive innovation is the introduction of the same mobile payment terminals. If some firms start using them, others will have to do the same, otherwise they will lose market share.

What is strategic innovation? An example of this is updating the company's software at the level of basic infrastructure funds. Availability of new software - on local PCs, on servers, on devices that ensure the security of the organization and solve other production tasks. The strategic purpose of these innovations is that they are supposed to be used in order to provide competitive advantages in the future. Installing advanced software modifications on an organization's computers is one of the most important factors in successfully maintaining the competitiveness of a modern enterprise.

This is the classification of innovations with examples. Consider other important aspects of the development and implementation of innovations. Among them - preparation for the introduction of innovations. Let's study this aspect in more detail.

Preparing for innovation

Most innovations appear in the economy and society for a reason - there is some stage of preparation for their implementation. She may suggest:

- analysis of the demand for certain innovations;

- an assessment of the resources available to a potential developer to create an innovation;

- analysis of the prospects for market demand for innovation.

An important aspect of preparing for the introduction of innovations is the study of the demands of society. Why might this be important?

Social aspect of innovation

For all the benefits of innovation, its implementation must take into account the characteristics of society. However, the opinion of the people may not always be the determining factor. People may want to introduce innovations, see them as a necessary process. But, from the point of view of the development of society, such initiatives may not always be useful.

The examples of innovations of various types discussed above are primarily related to increasing production efficiency. In fact, this most often means that many of the labor functions of a person will be unclaimed. For example, due to the fact that a robot will replace it in a number of production operations. Improving computing power may also play against the demand for a person in a particular industry.

Consequently, with too much innovation in the industry, unemployment can rise significantly. That amountspecialists that were needed before the implementation of innovations may not be required by the economy. At the same time, it is not always possible to employ people who have certain qualifications - you will have to compensate for the lack of their employment with state support. Whether the country's budget will cope with this is a question.

Of course, innovations are needed primarily in terms of ensuring the competitiveness of the state economy. However, their excessive implementation can provoke an increase in unemployment, in the future - the emigration of qualified specialists. There is a version that innovations in the world - examples of which we have considered above, have largely become a factor in the emergence of a crisis in the labor markets of many developed countries.

But it is worth noting that not all experts adhere to this point of view. There is another version. It lies in the fact that innovation stimulates the capitalization of the economy. By introducing certain innovations, the country's enterprises can develop more efficiently, expand sales markets, and attract foreign investment. Capital in the state economy stimulates the creation of new jobs, and just the same in those industries where it can be problematic to replace human labor. Thus, in accordance with this point of view, innovation is useful for society in any case.

Innovations in Russia

Let's study how innovations develop in Russia. Examples of these can be found in various sectors of the Russian economy. So, at Russian enterprises, in principle, all those technological innovations that we have considered above are functioning - mobile Internet, 3D printing, financialservices using cryptocurrencies.

One of the most technologically advanced military-industrial complex in the world is Russian. Experts view Russia as a technological leader in the space and nuclear industries. A significant number of popular types of software are of Russian origin. These include, for example, well-known anti-virus brands, production automation systems, and crypto-protection programs. In the Russian Federation, microprocessors are produced, albeit in small quantities, comparable in a number of parameters to the products of leading brands.

Thus, there are good innovations being introduced in Russia. Examples of such, perhaps, so far do not always correspond to solutions, the use of which is widespread. But the very fact of their successful development indicates that the Russian Federation has the technological, scientific, infrastructural, and financial potential to maintain the necessary dynamics of innovation in many sectors of the economy. Of course, the pace of such innovative modernization in the Russian Federation is often assessed as insufficient. But experts appreciate the potential - it exists. It is important to support it by stimulating scientific developments in the Russian Federation, organizing the exchange of experience between Russian and foreign scientists, creating the necessary infrastructure for the practical implementation of emerging technologies in various industries.

Forward-looking innovations

Let's consider what major innovations - we will study an example of each - are considered by modern analysts as the most promising. Some we have already mentioned above, but a number of others deserve attention.notable innovations.

First of all, it should be noted that experts are extremely positive about the role and prospects of the mobile Internet. Access to the network without being tied, relatively speaking, to a telephone wire, creates huge economic prospects - primarily from the point of view of expanding the advertising market and its methods. The mobile Internet creates the conditions for an intensive exchange of information of various types, not only textual, but also multimedia, also without being tied to a specific place where there is a telephone wire, people communicating with each other.

Mobile Internet, thus, significantly accelerates business processes, the development of new technological solutions, and further innovation. An example of another promising trend is cloud computing. The dynamics of their use also largely depends on the development of the mobile Internet, but not only on it, but on the online segment as a whole. Cloud solutions are a high-tech alternative to traditional data carriers, software formats, computing power, which can be more reliable, cheaper and more productive than using a classic IT infrastructure.

Alternative energy is another major, basic innovation. An example of its successful implementation can be found in many countries of the world in more than one copy. It is most in demand, of course, in countries that experience difficulties with the production of traditional fuels or wish to reduce the dependence of the economy on them. Alternative energy, according to many experts, is important not only from the pointin terms of replacing traditional types of fuel, how much in terms of human development of new territories - which are enough in the world, especially in Russia. If it is possible to use solar and wind energy, there may be no need for expensive, at least requiring huge investments, energy infrastructure in the relevant regions, and the development of these territories can be much more dynamic.

Modernization of materials is another notable trend. At the same time, it can affect a variety of areas of production. So, among the segments where this is observed very actively is construction. Materials are being developed that are adapted to be placed in a variety of natural conditions, to the effects of various substances - which increases their service life and performance. The modernization of materials may imply a reduction in the cost of their production and practical use in construction. This contributes to the strengthening of the dynamics of the pace of construction of buildings and structures for various purposes and stimulates many economic processes in the state. Modernization of materials is a process that concerns the production of household products, clothing. Innovations in this area are significant in terms of improving the environmental friendliness of goods, the comfort of using them.

The most important aspect and, at the same time, the direction in the innovation segment is the development of methods for managing them. We are talking about innovations related to the application of practical approaches to the preparation, implementation and maintenance of various technologies.

What can be expressedinnovation management? Examples of these approaches are social technologies (especially online and related to many innovative segments that we reviewed above), research concepts in the field of analysis of socio-economic, production processes, the introduction of new methods of personnel policy in enterprises.

What are the criteria for effective management of the introduction of various innovations? Any innovation is a process. An example of almost any of them testifies to this. The development of an innovation is prepared, then it is implemented, after which the results of its use in a particular area are monitored. It is important to understand how each stage of work with an innovative concept goes, how to interpret their results.

Therefore, the most important criterion for the effectiveness of innovation management is the sequence of formation of a complex of knowledge about it. It is important to define the life cycle of an innovation. An example of this or that innovation, while reflecting a separate mechanism for its implementation in a particular enterprise, must be confirmed by data on many other subjects involved in the implementation of the corresponding innovation. The availability of all the necessary data on innovation is a factor in its consistent and effective implementation, as well as ensuring its positive impact on economic and technological processes.