165Sources of Variations
electric car that could replace existing fuel-based car would certainly do that. Radical
innovations typically involve large leaps in understanding, new ways of seeing the problem
at hand, and taking bigger risks than many people involved feel comfortable about. In addi-
tion, they are often disruptive in the sense that they render earlier success products and/or
business models obsolete.
2. Local (or modular) versus systemic (or architectural) innovation: This dimension is closely
related to the scope of changes that result from or are necessary for the adoption and dif-
fusion of the innovation. In the case of a local or modular innovation, the functional prin-
ciples or performance of a product or its component may ...