51: Matthew Realff - Why do we overlook process innovation?

The modern story of technological innovation is usually told as a story of scientific discovery followed by translation and commercialization. What if there is a broad class of technological innovations that do not follow this narrative? What if, despite being frequently overlooked or misunderstood, these innovations have revolutionized society in domains as diverse as materials, energy, electronics, and healthcare? On this episode of the Nanovation podcast, Matthew Realff returns to the show to talk with Mike about ‘fundamental process innovations’ -- technological innovations that emerge from rethinking the strategy by which a series of manufacturing steps are organized and executed. They discuss why process innovation often goes unrecognized, present a framework to understand it, explain how new areas of science emerge from it, and offer suggestions for nurturing it in the future. (Recorded on June 13, 2019. Edited by Andrew Cannon)