Distributed Innovation in Classes of Networks

Rapid developments in digital technologies have brought to force new challenges in innovation. In this paper, we propose a taxonomic framework of innovation networks in order to identify new challenges. Innovation networks form socio-technical systems that exist in a distributed cognitive space. The generative processes in these innovation networks involve both cognitive and social translations. At the same time, the rapid developments of digital technologies have reduced communication costs and allow integration of previously unconnected activities and artifacts due to digital convergence. These two forces of digitization - reduction in communication cost and digital convergence - stretch the innovation networks in two dimensions. On one hand, we see an increasing distribution of control and coordination among actors participating in innovation networks. On the other hand, we also see an increasing heterogeneity in knowledge resources that are mobilized during an innovation. These two dimensions allow us to conceptualize four types of innovation networks that result from pervasive use of digital technologies: singular innovation, open source innovation, internal markets of innovation, and doubly distributed innovation networks. We discuss the implications of our conceptual framework for the evolution of information infrastructures, future innovation research based on network analyses, and the new interlacing of ontology and epistemology of innovations.