Technology and the market : demand, users and innovation

The interplay between demand from the market, the role of users in shaping that demand, and the way in which these factors influence the innovation process has always been a complex one. This forward thinking book examines this interplay from a technological change perspective. The contributors explore the potential for rapprochement between economics, sociological and other social science disciplines in considering the allocation of resources and the making of decisions about technological change. The papers within this book represent a judicious blend of theory and empirical research and look at a broad range of innovations, markets and technologies in medicine, agricultural and food production, services and IT. Technology and the Market raises the question of the many 'visible hands' that are involved in linking technology and the market together. This book is recommended to academics and policymakers interested in demand-innovation interaction, scholars of industrial economics and the sociology of technology as well as entrepreneurs. Understanding user needs is now seen as one of the most important factors in the success of innovation and one of the raisons d'etre of market research. This book attempts to move the boundaries to show the importance of how demand is detected or constructed by innovators.