Innovation and the Evolution of Industries
History-Friendly Models

A new approach to the analysis of technological process, emphasising the tailoring of formal modelling to historical context.

Franco Malerba (Author), Richard R. Nelson (Author), Luigi Orsenigo (Author), Sidney G. Winter (Author)

9781107051706, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 11 August 2016

296 pages, 41 b/w illus. 4 tables
23.5 x 15.7 x 2 cm, 0.53 kg

'The co-authors of this volume are pioneers in the development of 'history-friendly models' of the evolution of knowledge-intensive industries. This book extends and elaborates that work, enriching our understanding of the development of the computer, semiconductor, and pharmaceuticals industries. The volume is a major contribution to economics, strategy, and policy.' David C. Mowery, William A. and Betty H. Hasler Professor of New Enterprise, Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley

The disruptive impacts of technological innovation on established industrial structures has been one of the distinguishing features of modern capitalism. In this book, four leading figures in the field of Schumpeterian and evolutionary economic theory draw on decades of research to offer a new, 'history-friendly' perspective on the process of creative destruction. This 'history-friendly' methodology models the complex dynamics of innovation, competition and industrial evolution in a way that combines analytical rigour with an acknowledgement of the chaotic nature of history. The book presents a comprehensive analysis of the determinants and patterns of industrial evolution, and investigates its complex dynamics within three key industries: computers, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals. It will be of great value to scholars and students of innovation and industrial change, from backgrounds as varied as history, economics and management. Its coverage of new methodological tools is also useful for students who are new to evolutionary economic theory.

1. Innovation and industrial evolution
2. History-friendly models: methods and fundamentals
3. The US computer industry and the dynamics of concentration
4. Vertical integration and dis-integration in the computer industry
5. The pharmaceutical industry and the role of demand
6. Reprise and conclusions.

Subject Areas: Business innovation [KJD], Economics of industrial organisation [KCD], Economics [KC]