CHRISTIAN SANDSTRÖM
Christian Sandström holds a PhD in innovation management. His research interests concern disruptive innovation and the challenges they imply for established firms. Dr. Sandström is affiliated with the Center for Business Innovation at Chalmers University of Technology, and the Ratio Institute. Some of his work can be found at disruptiveinnovation.se
Visionary companies do not only try to see into the future – they create the future. The history of innovation is scattered with examples of misjudgments regarding the dynamics of new technology. Less than two years before Polaroid’s bankruptcy, Morgan Stanley made the following statement: “We are upgrading Polaroid to Outperform from Neutral based on the company’s new product performance…
Radical innovation presents both a threat and an opportunity to firms. It has frequently turned entire industries on their heads. History shows us that large, successful firms may very suddenly become vulnerable when the underlying technology shifts. In this in-depth article Christian Sandström examines how radical innovation can be managed, despite the seemingly insurmountable problems created by the transition from one technology to another.
