Delivering beneficial impacts in Assistive Technology: Improving government's approach to innovation
Lane, J.P.
Studies in Health Technology and Informatics 217: 78-83
2015
ISSN/ISBN: 1879-8365 PMID: 26294456 Document Number: 679720
Society typically relies on the industrial sector to supply product and service innovations through the free market system. In some areas of free market failure deemed important to society - such as Assistive Technology - governments intervene by applying alternative innovation systems. This paper contends that governments consistently and inappropriately support an exploratory grant approach led by academia which generates knowledge in conceptual and prototype states, and instead should shift to a procurement contract approach led by industry which designs, tests and deploys commercial products and services.