Capitalism, Innovations, and Health After Covid-19. An Asian Perspective: An Introduction

Sébastien Lechevalier (), Jean-Paul Gaudillière, Kathryn Ibata-Arens and Kayo Takuma
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Sébastien Lechevalier: Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS)
Jean-Paul Gaudillière: Inserm & EHESS
Kathryn Ibata-Arens: DePaul University
Kayo Takuma: Keio University

Chapter 1 in Capitalism, Innovations, and Health after Covid-19, 2026, pp 1-19 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract In this introductory chapter, we present the focus of the book, which is twofold. On the one hand, we revisit the Covid-19 crisis, as it reveals two underlying crises of the innovation and capitalist systems, in relation with health. This is why this book offers an interdisciplinary exploration of the intertwined crises of innovation and capitalism exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. We interpret it not merely as a health emergency but as a revealing rupture in the dominant models of technological innovation and capitalist accumulation, particularly in health systems. On the other hand, we propose in-depth case studies of healthcare innovations in Asia that are often successful yet contrast markedly in how actors employ market and non-market mechanisms to create healthcare solutions. These cases vary, from studies of how community based intellectual property rights develop surrounding traditional medicines, to alternative national regulatory regimes to encourage the promotion of generic medicines, to detailed studies of how the Japanese healthcare system has embraced robots as a partial solution to its demographic challenges in the area of geriatric care. These and other case studies in the book synergize to promote the following general message: alternative innovation systems surrounding healthcare are disruptive but viable. As a whole, this book is framed as a critique of the healthcare innovation system that dominates the US and, in parts, Europe. This system focuses heavily on market-based innovation driven by strong intellectual property rights, an ecosystem supporting healthcare entrepreneurship, healthcare provision containing strong market elements as means of access, and strong commitments to the use of biomolecular pharmaceutical products rather than the organization of care as a human-based service. By contrast to previous works, we propose here to foster new thinking about the future of innovation and health needs.

Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-24479-6_1

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