Identifying Disruptive Technologies: An Intellectual Property-Based View to Disruptive Potential Assessment

Miglena Avramova Molhova-Vladova ()
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Miglena Avramova Molhova-Vladova: University of National and World Economy

A chapter in Emerging Dynamics in Business and Economics, 2025, pp 1-30 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract The theory of disruptive innovation, developed by Christensen, studies the specific type of innovation that challenges the already existing competitive patterns in an industry. This theory specifically claims that disruptive innovation is not a breakthrough technology. One very important question, however, emerges from these fundamental understandings of the theory: if it is possible to achieve a radical change in the market effect without a radical change in the technology and its implications. The current paper studies this question from an intellectual property perspective, where a problem-solution approach is used for the evaluation of the novelty and inventiveness of a technology, specifically considering its use (i.e., its potential market application). This article argues that disruptive technologies might be defined from a market perspective, where a period of trial and error is required so that the uses of technology and market challenge to existing business models and competitive patterns are confirmed, but this should not be the only viewpoint in the framework of disruptiveness. Disruptive technologies need to be defined from a technological perspective as well, where radicalness, degree of novelty, and degree of inventiveness (creativity) are important factors in the process of redefining needs, creating awareness about the specific problem for stakeholders and building trust that this problem can be overcome. The article proposes an ex ante assessment model for the disruptive potential of a technology based on a three-dimensional framework of technological and market aspects of disruptive technologies, offering new theoretical insight into the impact of the technological advantage, information asymmetry on the market, and customers’ needs as they are being predefined. The model is analyzed and validated using information about tech companies, active in the fintech sector, operating on the European Union market.

Keywords: Innovation and invention; Disruptive innovation; Technological change; Intellectual property; Patents (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:prbchp:978-3-031-91686-1_1

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-91686-1_1

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