Innovation by integration: The story of the hybrid aircraft

Decision making in the aerospace industry is dominated by the need to avoid risk. Consequentially, programs involving non-traditional innovation often require an understanding of how the application of technology influences feasibility and acceptance. This paper describes how selective integration of existing technology was used in the conceptual development of an innovative product, the hybrid aircraft. Concepts from the investment theory of creativity and resource based view are used to illustrate potential ways of approaching programs of this nature.