10.6 What drives invention in organisations?
Much invention and nearly all innovation nowadays take place inside organisations – from small start-up companies to well-established multinationals. This is mainly because increasingly invention and innovation require access to technology and resources beyond the scope of most individuals. But it is also because competitiveness and survival depend on the continual improvement of a company's products and processes. This provides a strong incentive for companies to invest in both the incremental improvement of existing products and the invention of new products.
Invention in organisations is usually driven by one or more of these:
business strategy
need to improve product or process
opportunity offered by a new material, technology or manufacturing process
government policy, legislation and regulations.