Complementarity constraints and induced innovation: some evidence from the First IT Regime

Andreas Reinstaller () and Werner Hölzl

No 30, Research Memorandum from Maastricht University, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT)

Abstract: Technological search is often depicted to be random. This paper takes a different view and analyses how innovative recombinant search is triggered, how it is done and what initial conditions influence the final design of technological artefacts. We argue that complementarities (non-separabilities) play an important role as focusing devices guiding the search for new combinations. Our analysis takes the perspective of technology adopters and not that of inventors or innovators of new products. We illustrate the process of decomposition and re-composition under the presence of binding complementarity constraints with a historical case study on the establishment of the First IT Regime at the turn of the 19th century.

Keywords: research and development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2003
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Related works:
Chapter: Complementarity constraints and induced innovation: some evidence from the first IT regime (2004)
Working Paper: Complementarity constraints and induced innovation: Some evidence from the first IT regime (2003)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:unm:umamer:2003030

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