Integrated innovation: Applying systems thinking to sustainable innovation and transformation

Abstract

Despite allusions to systemic elements in the conception of innovation more generally, and sustainable innovation in particular, the literature generally fails to capture many of the insights that systems science can bring to our understanding of these subjects. This concept paper elaborates five principles of integrated innovation-diversity, aspiration, networks, convergence and emergence-and describes five stages of integrated innovation: intention, ideation, invention, synovation and transformation.