Technological Evolution, Variety and the Economy

Technological Evolution, Variety and the Economy discusses the fundamental role played by qualitative change in economic development, the contribution made by technological change and innovation, and the analysis of these phenomena in terms of evolutionary theories. Pier Paolo Saviotti's major new book goes beyond studying the effects of technological change on known economic variables. In addressing the actors and mechanisms of technological change, Dr Saviotti focuses first on changes in product technology and then examines the evolution of organizations with special reference to their use of information and knowledge. Using an evolutionary framework, he develops a model of technological evolution based on replicator dynamics which explicitly introduces these key actors and mechanisms. An in-depth discussion of the present state of evolutionary theories focuses on their methodological foundations and applicability to learning in organizations. With qualitative technological change as its central theme and featuring detailed discussion of the current state of evolutionary theories, Technological Evolution, Variety and the Economy will be welcomed by economists working in innovation, technical change and industrial organization.