This unique and informative book highlights the relationship between crisis, innovation, and sustainable development, and discusses the necessary conditions required to seize the ecological opportunity. The authors study the strength of change for building a new society, and the theoretical origins and political aspects of environmental concerns. They also sketch the outlines of a global governance system seeking to promote sustainable development. Written from a multidisciplinary perspective, this volume will appeal to postgraduate students and researchers in the economics of innovation, environmental economics and political economy, as well as policy makers and practitioners.

John Kenneth Galbraith was an eminent economist and proponent of change. The contributors to the book further his analysis on the evolution of capitalism; taking into account changes to the general economic climate since the publication of J.K. Galbraith's main thesis, they outline new ideas which form fertile ground for new research.The book begins with a penetrating analysis of the main features of today's capitalism and in particular the conflict between shareholders and managers. It moves on to focus on the consequences of globalization in the decision-making processes of large corporations and represents an important step in the development of a theory of fraud and corruption within corporations. In the final part, the authors address and explore the consequences of the domination of influential groups over major social and political decisions, on the blurred boundaries between the public and the private sectors and its consequences in the fields of technological regulation and the evolution of public services. In so doing, the authors question the meaning and power of democracy in today's society. Innovation, Evolution and Economic Change will appeal to a wide readership and audience of economists, policy makers and political organization.

The genesis and diffusion of innovation depends upon the density of the cognitive and market relationships among individuals, organisations and institutions at both the micro- and macro-economic level. By addressing the nature of these relationships, which include cooperation, competition and power, this book presents an important and progressive enquiry into the economic and social origins of innovation. The authors in the book stress the importance of cognitive and economic linkages in the assessment and analysis of innovation within the enterprise, within local and national economies and at the international level. They present a series of interesting studies of research labs, enterprises and networks, systems of innovation and innovative milieux to present emerging ideas from different theoretical traditions. They also demonstrate how specific actors, such as the State or certain individual enterprises, are able to determine the process of diffusion, coordination and standardisation of knowledge and technologies. Thus, economic and political power is a key notion that permeates the book. Taking the renewal of technologies and markets as a starting point, the book also clearly shows that military programmes and industries constitute one of the engines of capitalist economies. This book will interest and inform a broad readership of scholars and students working on the economics and management of innovation, the economics of technology policy and business studies.