Eric Von Hippel - Inspiration and Influences

Inspiration and Influences

Even as a child Professor Von Hippel was an innovative one as he likes to point out "(when you're a child) if you don't like what you have you make it yourself." Like the skateboards and scooters of the past generations kid designed and produced these products for themselves because they were not available to them otherwise. Professor Von Hippel became very interested in this phenomenon and how it worked, which guided his path to where he is today. Professor Von Hippel looks to the work of Professor Nathan Rosenberg of Stanford University whose research looks at the economics of technological change, the economic role of science, as well as economic history and development. Professor Richard Nelson of Columbia University, who focuses on the processes of long-run economic change, with particular emphasis on technological advances. As well as Professor Ann Carter of Brandeis who specializes in the fields of changing specialization of businesses and of workers, economics of information, technical change, and technology transfer. Professor Von Hippel also see's Dr. Nikolaus Franke of Vienna University as a great influence in the field of product innovation, Dr. Franke runs an institute on lead user innovation methods, and also focuses on market research .