A Co-evolutionary Perspective in Medical Technology:. Clinical Innovation Systems in Europe and in Japan

We aim to study the innovation process in medical technology from an evolutionary perspective. By considering a case of medical imaging technology in Europe and in Japan for over a decade, our empirical investigation shows that medical organizations clinically evaluate technological alternatives, from which emerge clinical innovations not captured in patents and licenses and more importantly diffused among a larger community of practice, beyond geographic boundaries. These findings direct our attention to propose a model that links technological change and lead users within a microstate innovation system with respect to clinical advances for patients. This model uses a dynamic and interpretative approach that allows variation and selection within and among heterogeneous agents for technological change. In turn, the clinical innovation system provides us with insights into how firms potentially benefit from these localized interactions through a transnational collaborative and collective learning process. This captures the unique and distinct knowledge accumulated by lead users for novel solutions, which is beyond sole product development.