ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors deal with the different aspects of innovation in detail in order to set straight this one-sided view of the concept. They define innovation and explain why it is important, and not just economically. The authors discuss the subdivision of innovation in its different phases and show that innovation is more than simply product innovation or technical innovation, as is often claimed. They discuss different types of innovation and put forward some suggestions on how innovation can be measured. The chapter looks at the role of knowledge in innovation. The occurrence of harmful substances in the returned machines was not the reason for initiating the innovation, and neither was sustainability the primary objective of the process. Radical innovations are based on fundamental inventions that are 'new to the world'.
