Complete and incomplete innovation systems in civil aerospace

James Hickie and Desmond Hickie

European Planning Studies, 2025, vol. 33, issue 8, 1336-1350

Abstract: This article explores the concepts of completeness and incompleteness in innovation systems through the lens of the civil aerospace industry. It analyses the impacts of the industry’s supply chain structure, the dependence of leading manufacturers on complex, costly technologies for competitive advantage, and the concentration of leading firms in long-established core regions. In addition, it examines how shorter run changes in market and socio-economic conditions can impact on supply chains and, hence, on their innovative completeness or incompleteness. The industry's supply chain relationships may appear quite stable, but closer observation reveals that relationships can be more transitory reflecting changing technological capabilities and market needs. Incompleteness in a firm's innovative ecosystem or of its broader supply chain can be key in destabilizing such relationships. Innovative aerospace firms are critically dependent upon the knowledge, skills and competences of their employees – blue collar and managerial as well as engineering and technological – to remain innovatively competitive. However, firms embedded in a strong innovative ecosystem are best placed to respond to technological change and the threat of incompleteness.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/09654313.2025.2541246

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