Responsibly scaling up innovations for societal challenges

The paper, based on the inaugural lecture of Professor Wouter Boon at Utrecht University, explores the imperative of ‘responsibly scaling up innovations’ to address pressing societal challenges in healthcare, energy, and mobility. While traditional innovation science views ‘diffusion’ primarily as a communication problem characterized by the S-curve, Boon argues these dominant models suffer from ‘pro-innovation bias’ and often overlook “hidden” innovations, mundane technology adaptations, and local initiatives. The paper highlights that standard “one-size-fits-all” scaling strategies frequently ignore significant hidden implementation costs, such as the intensive man-hours required to integrate AI into education or the environmental and social externalities of mass adoption. To address these shortcomings, he proposes a framework for ‘responsible scaling’. Responsible scaling requires innovators and stakeholders to align new technologies with public values, institutional regulations, and diverse user practices from the very beginning of the innovation process. The paper identifies critical issues regarding responsible scaling: - Navigating value trade-offs (e.g., speed versus safety). - Establishing institutional guardrails to avoid persistent problems or “lock-ins”. - Managing responsible replacement to redistribute the costs and benefits of creative destruction. - Recognizing the value of ‘scaling deep’ through meaningful, local human interaction. - Adapting to restricted global movement through ‘open strategic autonomy’. Ultimately, the paper concludes that diffusion is not value-free; achieving genuine societal impact requires shifting focus from simple market conquest to responsible scaling that ensures long-term equity and sustainability.