science

Hidden innovation

Hidden innovation is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Hidden innovation rather than just read about it. In short: Hidden innovation or invisible innovation refers to innovation that is not captured or recognised by traditional indicators such as research and development (R&D) spending or number of patents. The term generally refers to innovation that takes place outside science & technology sectors, which are the primary sectors which invest in formal R&D and patents.

Key takeaways

Hidden innovation belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Hidden innovation to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Hidden innovation from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Hidden innovation or invisible innovation refers to innovation that is not captured or recognised by traditional indicators such as research and development (R&D) spending or number of patents. The term generally refers to innovation that takes place outside science & technology sectors, which are the primary sectors which invest in formal R&D and patents. For example, although technological innovations are often developed in the oil & gas sector through oil exploration activities, these innovations are unaccounted for in innovation metrics because oil exploration is not counted as formal R&D. Other types of innovation, including social innovation, can be classed as hidden innovation. Although originally coined in the 90s by Diana Hicks and Sylvan Katz in their research on the hidden research system involving hospital researchers, and Mike Hopkins research on genetic testing within the UK healthcare system, the concept of hidden innovation has most recently been promoted by NESTA, in their "Innovation Gap" Report, published October 2006. A later report, called "Hidden innovation", further expands on the concept and identifies four types of hidden innovation:

Innovation that is the same or similar to activities that are measured by traditional indicators, but which is excluded from measurement. Innovation without a major scientific/technological basis, such as innovation in organizational forms or business models. Innovation created from the novel combination of existing technologies and processes. Locally developed, small-scale innovations that take place 'under the radar' and are therefore unrecognised or accounted for.

External links Hospitals: The Hidden Innovation System (1996), Hicks D.M. and J.S. Katz, Science and Public Policy, 23 (5) The Innovation Gap: Why policy needs to reflect the reality of innovation in the UK (2006) Archived 2012-07-04 at the Wayback Machine Hidden Innovation: How innovation really happens in six 'low innovation' sectors (2007) Archived 2012-02-05 at the Wayback Machine Hidden Innovation in the creative industries (2008) Archived 2012-08-04 at the Wayback Machine

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Hidden innovation

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Hidden innovation claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Hidden innovation before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Hidden innovation ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Hidden innovation

In research: Hidden innovation appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Hidden innovation in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Hidden innovation is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Innovation, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Hidden innovation outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Hidden innovation in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Hidden innovation means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Hidden innovation out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hidden innovation in simple terms?

Why does Hidden innovation matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Hidden innovation?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Hidden innovation.