Introduction: Managing innovation in turbulent times

Abstract

Innovation is the engine of growth and corporate restructuring. During phases of persistent growth (e.g. during the period from 1990 to 2008), this message is simple and straightforward. But what happens to innovation when the economy is characterized by engine failure, and how does this effect the management of R&D and the role of innovation during a severe crisis? This book on Innovation and International Corporate Growth was planned just before the financial shock that turned world business upside down. Who will still be interested in a new book on innovation when firms and financial institutions are going bankrupt and managers are most concerned with reducing costs and with keeping their business running? © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.