Measuring user innovation in the UK

As previous research has shown users - both firms and individual consumers - play a much more active role in processes of innovation than it had been generally believed.

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To date, most studies of user innovation have focused on specific consumer and industrial categories. But cross-industry studies of the phenomenon are needed to build a robust evidence base for policymaking, and to support managerial decision-making.

This report sets out to address this gap in the understanding of the role of users - including individual consumers and business firms – in processes of innovation across a range of sectors and activities. It presents findings from a world-first survey of product innovation by consumers, and from the first cross-industry survey of user process innovation by UK firms.

Published
April 2010

Author
Stephen Flowers, Eric von Hippel, Jeroen de Jong and Tanja Sinozic