On the structuring of variation in innovation processes: a case of new product development in the crop protection industry

Abstract

The analysis of new product development at industrial research laboratories is an important source of empirical knowledge of innovation processes. It may be particularly relevant for better understanding the generation of variety in innovation processes. The paper argues that the generation of variety is not a fully stochastic process. It is argued that pressure from the selection environment and the structuring of knowledge generation may be such that at different places, highly similar research lines develop which result in highly similar inventions.