Innovative activity: essence, characteristics, classification

Any new knowledge obtained as a result of these or other studies enriches the representation of people about themselves and the world around them. However, far from each of these discoveries can be applied to improve the life of society and to realize the practical needs of each individual person. The same innovations, which immediately or with the passage of time find their embodiment in the form of an improved product, have received the name of innovation.

Innovation, according to one of the most common definitions, is a kind of activity whose main goal is to search for and implement any innovations to improve the quality of products, as well as to improve the organization and technological equipment of production.

Any innovative activity includes several mandatory steps and components. At the first stage, problems are identified that hamper the further development of the enterprise, organization or institution. It should be remembered that the most perfect technique or technology becomes outdated sooner or later. Therefore, to ensure that a particular process continues to bring profit and satisfaction, it is necessary to periodically introduce new components into it.

After identifying the main problems, the stage of the origin of innovative ideas begins . The main sources of such ideas may be some external events (for example, failure in the tender), changes in the structure of production or industry, scientific discoveries, demographic and other social changes in the surrounding space.

After completing all the ideas in any specific tasks or projects, the stage of organization and management of innovations comes. Management of innovation activity implies the creation of optimal conditions for all participants involved in the development and implementation of innovations in the production or organizational process. In addition, within the management there is a search and accumulation of the necessary financial, methodological and human resources, preparation of conditions for the commercial introduction of certain innovations.

Innovative activity is very diverse and multilevel. That it leads to the desired result, it is necessary to have a clear idea of innovation, to understand what the latter differ from, for example, simple modifications.

The main types of innovation activities are classified depending on the possible technological parameters, as well as on the type of novelty that these innovations represent for the market as a whole.

In the first case, innovative activity involves the introduction of a new type of products, materials or components. In addition, technological innovations may imply the emergence of new production lines, technologies or a change in the organizational structure of the enterprise.

From the point of view of novelty for the market, innovations can be absolutely new phenomena (for both this particular enterprise and the industry in the country). The maximum value is an innovative activity that leads to the emergence of something new for this industry on a global scale.