A Journey into User Innovation

Abstract

Overview: Eric von Hippel, a leading researcher in the field of user innovation, gave the Annual Knowledge and Innovation Foundational Scholar interview during the Strategic Management Society’s 42nd Annual Conference held in London, Sept 17–20, 2022. This article is an edited transcript of that interview in which von Hippel provides insights into his research journey and perspectives on the importance of user innovation. He defines user innovation as the process by which individuals or firms create new products, services, or behaviors for their own use rather than for sale, and contrasts it with producer innovation. This type of innovation can occur in various contexts and can range from small modifications to existing products to the development of entirely new offerings. von Hippel also discusses the strategy-related implications of this distinction and highlights the growing area of research and practice in user innovation. Finally, he reflects on his own experiences with user innovation and provides thoughts on the intriguing issues future research in this field should address.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Eric von Hippel

Eric von Hippel is the T. Wilson Professor of Innovation Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He has studied user innovation for more than three decades and has made significant contributions to our understanding of it. He has published extensively on the subject, including three books: Sources of Innovation (1988), Democratizing Innovation (2005), and Free Innovation (2017). His work has generated more than 87,000 citations. von Hippel holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College, a master’s degree from MIT, and a PhD from Carnegie Mellon University. He has received several honorary doctorates and numerous awards, including the Humboldt Foundation Research Prize, the EU Innovation Luminary Award, the Schumpeter School Prize, and the Portugal National Medal of Science. He is also a colleague at the Open and User Innovation Society, which focuses on research related to user-driven innovation and the open sharing of innovation. [email protected]

Jens-Christian Friedmann

Jens-Christian Friedmann earned his PhD in business administration and management from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, where he’s currently a Research Fellow. His research focuses on knowledge flows in corporate strategy transactions such as alliances, acquisitions, and divestitures. Beginning in mid-2023, he will be an assistant professor in strategic management and entrepreneurship at Rotterdam School of Management. [email protected]

Nety Wu

Nety Wu is a PhD student in strategy at INSEAD. She is studying how firms react to change and uncertainty and how technology adoption shapes business positioning. Prior to academia, she was a research analyst at a Hong Kong-based family office, an experience that inspired her to explore the influence of technological advancements on organizational adaptation. [email protected]

Elizabeth J. Altman

Elizabeth J. Altman is an associate professor of management at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, research affiliate at MIT’s Initiative on the Digital Economy, and guest editor for the Future of the Workforce at MIT Sloan Management Review. Altman’s research focuses on strategy, innovation, platforms, ecosystems, future of work, and workforce ecosystems. She has a DBA from Harvard Business School, an SMME in mechanical engineering from MIT, an SMMgmt from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, and a BS in mechanical engineering from Cornell University. Prior to academia, she was a vice president at Motorola. [email protected]

Gabriel Szulanski

Gabriel Szulanski is the Bruce G. Henderson Chaired Professor of Strategy at INSEAD where he earned his PhD in strategy. His research focuses on knowledge transfer and the making of strategy. Eric von Hippel’s seminal work was a cornerstone of his own research on sticky knowledge. For over a decade, he has developed the Strategic Management Society’s Foundations Interview series with the intent of bringing out the person behind the ideas. [email protected]