The potential for disruptive technical innovation in wireless communication applications in the frequency control industry

Radically disruptive technical innovation offers a threat to, as well as an opportunity for, participants in any industry. This especially is the case in mature industries where product performance characteristic improvements and cost reductions typically are incremental over time. One example of such a relatively mature industry is the quartz-based frequency control device industry for wireless communication applications. We have studied perceptions of the potential for disruptive technical innovation in this industry by conducting two surveys, a "supply-side" survey of current industry participants and a "demand-side" survey of consumers who might purchase products enabled by such disruption. Our findings identify both where the industry anticipates and ignores the threat of disruption, as well as how the end-user market values products exhibiting radical reductions in size. Further, we have applied Christensen\´s theories to the results of our study of this industry in an attempt to identify the potential for disruptive innovation.