In April 2020, the idea of technological innovation: a brief alternative history (translated by the author as "the concept of technological innovation: a brief alternative history") was published by Edward Elgar press, a famous scholar of INRs, University of Quebec, Canada. Professor Godan is especially good at sorting out the history of important concepts in meta exploration of science and technology, so as to promote the theoretical discussion in related fields. For example, in 2015, he published innovation contested: the idea of innovation over the centers. In 2017, he published models of innovation: the history of an idea. Pan Yuntao, a researcher of China Institute of science and technology information, and his team have translated Godin's Book Measurement and statistics of science and technology since 1920 (Science and Technology Literature Press, 2008).

This book discusses the concept of technological innovation and analyzes its emergence, development and use. Godin argues that the research of innovation does not start from scholars, but from innovation practitioners.

The first part of this book combs the history of the concept of technological innovation, traces and analyzes the changing discourse around technological innovation. People often regard science and technology as inseparable, and Godin challenges this "connection view". He mainly focused on the development of the United Kingdom and the United States since World War II. He used sufficient evidence to show that technological innovation is not only the application of science“ Since the 1950s, innovation practitioners... Have been the pioneers of technological innovation theory. Scholars only later clarified the practitioners' views and theorized them. " In order to demonstrate his own point of view, Godin analyzed a large number of policy documents and consultation reports since the 1950s, combed the definition of technological innovation adopted in these documents, and identified several stages (overlapping between stages) of technological innovation concept: innovation as scientific application, innovation as output, innovation as process and innovation as system.

The second part makes an inventory of the innovation policies in history and today, in order to explain the impact of different technological innovation views and the key role played by innovation practitioners in the process of making innovation policies and giving them strategic position.

Through systematic research, Godin describes technological innovation as a practice field composed of activists, policy suggestions and policy trends. The contribution of innovative meta exploration scholars to this field is not to lay its foundation, but to clarify and demonstrate the existing views and development. After systematic combing, Godan also found the relationship between the theme of this book and other themes beyond the scope of this book. For example, due to the rapid industrialization in the 1920s, people were very afraid of unemployment. This early trend had an impact on the concept of technological innovation. In addition, the early development also paved the way for other concepts of innovation (inclusive innovation, responsible innovation, sustainable innovation, etc.) that are very hot today.

Innovative meta exploration scholars can pay attention to several characteristics of Godan's research ideas: when he studies the concept of technological innovation, he focuses on the organizational level rather than the national level; He stressed that the driving force of technological innovation is economic growth, and an important goal of innovation policy is to improve competitiveness; He believes that innovation discourse has an impact on the relationship between science and innovation.

By focusing on the organizational level, he was able to identify activists who had a strong influence on domestic policy-making, and whose influence might cross national boundaries. For example, the Department of Commerce in the federal government of the United States is a very important actor, and the OECD (Organization for economic cooperation and development) has a profound influence on the innovation policies of its member countries.

This book does not focus much on science and science policy, but his analysis shows that in the minds of innovation practitioners, the importance of science is gradually declining. According to the early linear model, innovation is the application of science, then science is the necessary and sufficient condition for technological innovation. Later, the concept of technological innovation focuses more on meeting market demand, technology adoption and commercialization. This book makes it clear that important innovators have long been skeptical about the importance of Science in the economy. Now, OECD and other organizations are calling for the integration of science policy and innovation policy. In this context, the book warns the scientific community that if they do not pay full attention to these new trends, their social legitimacy and financial support may face challenges.

This book is an indispensable reading for scholars of innovation Yuankan, sociology of science and technology and history of science and technology. Students can learn Godan's pioneering approach to the subject, and policymakers can benefit from the book's unique insight into innovation.