innovare

Innovare is an Italian verb meaning to introduce changes that improve the quality, efficiency, or functionality of something; to renew or modernize. It is widely used in business, technology, science, education, and public administration to describe processes, products, or methods that adopt new ideas, tools, or practices.

The word derives from Latin innovāre, formed from novus "new" with the prefix in-; in Italian the word has regular -are conjugation patterns (io innovo, tu innovi, lui innova, noi innoviamo, voi innovate, essi innovano). The related noun is innovazione; adjectives include innovativo and the noun innovatore for a person who innovates.

In common usage, innovare denotes purposeful change aimed at improvement rather than mere change. It often appears in corporate strategies, public policy, research programs, and product development. It contrasts with rinnovare (to renew) when the emphasis is on refreshing rather than creating novelty; but the lines are fluid in everyday language.

Beyond Italian, the concept of innovation is central to contemporary economics and technology policy, and in Italian discourse, references to "piano di innovazione" or "trasformazione digitale" are common. The term encompasses disruptive breakthroughs as well as incremental improvements.

Because innovare is a common verb, it is used by diverse organizations and initiatives that name themselves with related terms. Instances may appear in company slogans, research institutes, startups, and government programs across Italian-speaking regions.