3. Concepts to remember

3.1 Evolution of the concept of innovation

To sum up, the notion of innovation has evolved over time. Initially, it was a vague notion equated with technical progress, which was later clarified by the essential contribution of J.A. Schumpeter in 1942 (who defined innovation as a qualitative change within the company). This implies, in particular, that innovation can result from a new product or process, for the company, but not necessarily for the market.

The concept of innovation was then broadened to include organizational and marketing innovations.