"Innovation is back at the top of the corporate agenda." In an increasingly rigorous competitive landscape, researchers and businesses have identified new product development and innovation as a main source for differentiation, competitive advantage and economic growth. Trusting, it seems, in some sort of universal weapon against future competitive uncertainties, companies install new innovation initiatives, build innovation teams and erect innovation centers. And, in fact, numerous models and tools for systematically managing innovation have evolved and successfully implemented in recent decades. However, surprisingly few ideas develop into successful products, let alone sustainable innovations.



Henceforth the major goal of this book is to shed light upon the problem that not only many ambitious innovation initiatives get either torn apart before diffusion, but also those entering the market are no more than degenerated compromises of the original idea. These are critical factors in the creation of really new innovation.