Innovationsniveau

Innovationsniveau is a concept used in management, technology assessment, and policy analysis to describe the degree of novelty and potential impact of an innovation compared with current solutions. It captures how far a product, process, or service deviates from the status quo and what changes it may bring to users, markets, or organizations.

Classification schemes typically distinguish levels from incremental to radical or disruptive innovations. Common scales include incremental, substantial (modular), architectural, and radical (disruptive) categories, though different frameworks may use three, four, or five levels.

Assessment of innovationsniveau is usually qualitative and judgment-based, often supported by criteria such as novelty of knowledge, expected value for users, required changes in infrastructure or workflows, technical risk, and potential market impact. Some approaches relate the level to established development scales, such as technology readiness levels (TRLs) or innovation portfolios.

Applications include project prioritization in research and development, strategic planning, and policy design, where higher innovationsniveau may signal greater uncertainty and longer time-to-value but also larger transformative potential.

Limitations include subjectivity, cross-domain comparability, and context dependence. Critics argue that focusing on novelty alone may overlook feasibility and user value, so innovationsniveau is often used in combination with other metrics and qualitative reviews.

See also: innovation, radical innovation, incremental innovation, TRL, technology management.