THE SHADOWY SIDE OF INNOVATION - with an ecological perspective -

Abstract

For more than one century, innovation has been the key to companies' success and competitiveness. Actually, besides inventions, innovations have always brought some advantages to those economic competitors, whether they were farmers, craftsmen and traders, who understood to apply them in their daily activities. The industrial revolution of the early 19th century would not have been possible without the widespread application of inventions and innovations, the positive effects of which were immediately seen: the increase in the average income of the population and the Gross Domestic Product in industrialized countries. The negative effects would be observed after many years, effects that influenced the health of people, environmental pollution and the increase of economic gaps between countries. This paper tries to highlight a series of unwanted or unexpected consequences of innovation "at any cost", motivated only by the increase in sales of companies.

For more than one century, innovation has been the key to companies' success and competitiveness. Actually, besides inventions, innovations have always brought some advantages to those economic competitors, whether they were farmers, craftsmen and traders, who understood to apply them in their daily activities. The industrial revolution of the early 19th century would not have been possible without the widespread application of inventions and innovations, the positive effects of which were immediately seen: the increase in the average income of the population and the Gross Domestic Product in industrialized countries. The negative effects would be observed after many years, effects that influenced the health of people, environmental pollution and the increase of economic gaps between countries. This paper tries to highlight a series of unwanted or unexpected consequences of innovation "at any cost", motivated only by the increase in sales of companies.