When the sky is the limit on scale: From temporal to multiplicative scaling in process-based technologies

Mark Lehrer, Preeta M. Banerjee and I. Kim Wang

Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2017, vol. 117, issue C, 151-159

Abstract: The design evolution of two important process-based technologies, PCR DNA amplification and ERP software, was punctuated by discrete leaps in scale. From comparison of these technologies we distill a stage model centering on the phenomenon of increasing scale while clarifying just what the concept of scale means in the context of process-based technologies. Process-based technologies turn out to be distinctive because of the temporal aspect of scaling; although scaling up usually refers to spatial dimensions of scale, this research highlights the temporal dimension to scale. Temporal scaling can be complemented by multiplicative scaling, a design innovation enabling multiple processes to be performed in parallel. After highlighting different patterns of innovation from those that characterize manufactured products as conveyed by classic product-process lifecycle models, we reconcile our stage model with these classic lifecycle models: although the sequence of innovation phases is different, the overall evolution of the underlying economic logic motivating technology developers is actually rather similar.

Keywords: Process-based technologies; Scale; Design; Biotechnology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:117:y:2017:i:c:p:151-159

DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2016.12.006

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