The role of transition agents in the innovation process

This paper starts from the perspective that innovation is a multi-stage process that can be managed. Whilst there is ongoing research into best practice in each stage, relatively little attention has been paid to the management of transitions between stages. Four generic transitions have been characterised. Some authors see failure to make these transitions in terms of gaps or barriers. The view taken in this paper is that transitions can be successfully managed with the aid of agents that collectively have a repertoire of capabilities. Five case studies are used to illustrate the use of agency at transition points, and the agency roles of eight generic types of actors are identified for each transition point. This leads us to the view that there are only gaps or barriers if key transition points are not properly understood or managed.