“We live in an unprecedented era”, it is often said, so we need not worry about history. Innovation, we are told, is unleashed at such a fever pace that it sends our societies rushing into the unknown, into a world that bears no resemblance to the one where previous generations lived. Some see this as a good thing, others are far less enthusiastic.
In reality, innovation is far more rooted into our society that these commentators want to believe. Innovation cannot be reduced to a disembodied technological phenomenon, that would systematically upturn and overcome every obstacle in its wake. For sure, innovation starts with an invention, a new idea, which can be of a technical, commercial, organizational or social nature. That invention means nothing, however, if it is not diffused within our society, if it is not adopted by individuals and organizations that find it beneficial. Only then can we speak of innovation. Innovation is therefore a fundamentally social phenomenon.
What we are experiencing today, following the advent of the Internet and the boom in the digital economy, comes down to a democratization of innovation. Large-scale complex “ecosystems” are born, where innovators can focus on a niche, a module, and more easily bring their ideas to the public without having to change the rest of the ecosystem. The converged IT sector offers the prime example of such an ecosystem. Energy, transport and health care, to name but the main ones, are now following in the footsteps of IT. The firms and organizations featured in this book innovate in their respective ways and thereby contribute to the amazing vitality of these ecosystems.
We feel that we are lurching into the unknown because of the fluidity inherent in these ecosystems: before we know it, an invention is adopted and thus an element in the ecosystem is replaced or renewed, and then comes the next innovation, and the next one , seemingly at random. In fact, we are leaving a more managed innovation model, such as ruled over most of the 20th century, and we are going back to a more spontaneous innovation space, as it prevailed more than a century ago, in an era that also underwent massive exchange.
For our society, heading towards more unpredictable, more chaotic innovation requires more flexibility in our politics and our laws. Many innovations improve our lot, but some do not, hence the need to keep some critical distance and acknowledge that “bad innovation” can exist. Because of its impact on society, innovation forces us to question our assumptions: which social objectives are we pursuing? In which way does innovation contribute to the achievement of these objectives, or does not? If innovation upends existing structures, are there other means for society to realize its socio-political aims, besides the traditional solutions enshrined in our laws and institutions? Public authorities must also be willing to innovate.
At the end of the line, it comes as no surprise that innovation flourishes in dynamic societies. In these societies, freedom of action leaves room for innovation to blossom in all its unpredictability. Next to freedom of action, a willingness to engage into critical self-assessment allows these societies to absorb the impact of innovation while continuing to pursue their policy objectives. The city of Montreal, and its region, stand out among these dynamic societies, as this book shows. May they remain an innovation hotbed for the longest time!
We often hear that we live in unprecedented times, which would justify not worrying about history. Innovation, it is said, has reached such a pace that it is propelling our societies towards the unknown, towards a world that bears no resemblance to the one in which previous generations have evolved. Some see it as a good thing, others are less enthusiastic.
In fact, innovation is much more linked to our society than we think. It is a reductive vision to reduce innovation to simple technological invention, which would upset everything in its path without regard to its environment. Innovation is of course an invention, a new idea – whether technical, commercial, organizational or social – but this invention is nothing if it is not disseminated within our society, if it is not adopted by individuals and organizations who find it beneficial. Only then can we truly speak of innovation. Innovation is therefore deeply rooted in society.
What we are experiencing today, in the wake of the rise of the Internet and the explosion of the digital economy, is somewhat the democratization of innovation, the birth of vast “ecosystems” more complex, where it is easier to present a new idea to the public, to try to innovate on an element, on a module. Information technologies have already become an ecosystem, and sectors such as energy, transport or health are following closely behind them. The companies and organizations brought together in this book innovate and contribute in their own way to the incredible vitality of these ecosystems.
It is the fluidity of these ecosystems, the speed with which an invention can be adopted, and thus cause a change within one element of the ecosystem or another, that makes us feel like we are moving towards unknown. In reality, we are moving from a more managed model of innovation, which ruled the 20th century, to a more spontaneous model of innovation, as it prevailed more than a hundred years ago, at a time which also experienced drastic changes.
For society, the return to more unpredictable and chaotic innovation requires more flexibility in policy and law. Several innovations contribute to the advancement of our society, but some do not, hence the need to keep a certain critical distance.
Innovation, through its impact on society, forces a questioning of certainties: what objectives are we aiming for as a society? How does innovation contribute or not to these objectives? If innovation upsets the structures in place, are there other ways to achieve our socio-political objectives than the traditional solutions that are enshrined in our law and our institutions? Public authorities must also be innovative.
Ultimately, it is not surprising that innovation flourishes in dynamic societies, which are distinguished both by a freedom of action, which gives free rein to the unpredictability of innovation, and by a ability to question oneself, in order to be able to absorb the impact of innovation and continue to pursue political objectives. The city and region of Montreal stand out in this regard, as this book demonstrates. May they continue to remain a hotbed of innovation for a long time to come!
