Книги автора: Joëlle Forest

In a context marked by unprecedented challenges (the struggle against inequalities, climate change, etc.), innovation appears to be the readymade universal scapegoat. Innovation for Society, however, suggests that we look at innovation differently, by inviting us to innovate with consciousness. To do this, the authors introduce an approach they call Penser le Sens de l’Innovation (P.S.I., or “thinking about the meaning of innovation”), comprising a set of tools largely from the humanities and social sciences (observation, cartography, creativity, storytelling, etc.) to lead us to this “meaning”. By considering the question of “meaning” from the point of view of both direction and signification, the authors rehabilitate the eminently political question of knowing which innovations we choose for which societies.

This book urges us to be creative in our way of thinking about innovation. Adopting an artificial perspective, the author emphasizes creative rationality: a form of thought that encourages knowledge crossing and invites an adventurous transgression. The question of how such a form of thought might be developed is addressed through a detailed examination of the educational system. The book frees itself from many of the myths that surround innovation, including the predominance of what the author calls the linear and hierarchical model.

We are facing unprecedented challenges today. For many of us, innovation would be our last hope. But how can it be done? Is it enough to bet on the scientific culture? How can technical culture contribute to innovation? How is technical culture situated with regards to what we name collectively the culture of innovation? It is these questions that this book intends to address.