This chapter provides background on the environment in which infrastructure innovation occurs. In order to improve chances for success, it is important to understand the environment in which you will be commercializing technology. Innovations are the new products, technologies, or processes themselves once they have been adopted.
Innovation is different from invention.
Invention is conceiving of or developing a new product or process. Innovation occurs when that invention is put into practice in other words, innovation is the application of the invention. The process of innovation involves several stages, each of which contain many steps. These stages are not always clearly defined, and often they are not followed in a linear or sequential order. It is important to realize the interrelationships among these.