The Entrepreneurial Journey of a Successful Inventor and Businessman: Thomas Edison

Shuai Li ()
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Shuai Li: University of Oulu

Chapter Chapter 1 in Bridging the Innovation Gap, 2026, pp 1-15 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This chapter highlights the gap between technological invention and commercial success, particularly the challenge of commercializing academic research. Using Thomas Edison as a case study, it shows how he transformed from a single inventor into an industrial magnate by creating a systematic “invention factory.” Edison’s success lay in organizational invention, spinning off inventions into independent businesses, and treating inventions as strategic investments. The key takeaway for technologists: move beyond lone genius thinking and cultivate a “scientist + entrepreneur” dual-drive system to scale research outcomes commercially.

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:innchp:978-3-032-22652-5_1

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-22652-5_1

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