This monograph makes a fundamental contribution to research into innovation dynamics and industrial development in the German pharmaceutical industry. Its core focus is the long-term interrelationship between scientific and technological progress and economic sectoral development—an area of ongoing relevance in view of rising R&D costs and declining innovation rates.
The study is situated within the framework of neo-Schumpeterian economics and integrates pioneering theoretical approaches to technological paradigms, regimes, and industry life cycles. By combining these perspectives with unique proprietary data, it reveals deep-seated endogeneities and co-evolutionary processes between innovation, firms, and scientific progress. Two proprietary long-term databases—spanning over one hundred years and capturing both key active pharmaceutical ingredients and company dynamics—form the empirical foundation and close a notable gap in international research.
The monograph brings together extensive historical empiricism with theoretical depth and methodological innovation. This not only generates new insights into the developmental history of the pharmaceutical industry in Germany but also creates a solid foundation for further research on innovation processes and industrial evolution.
Addressed to researchers, industry representatives, and policymakers alike, it makes a significant contribution to a deeper understanding of the complex co-evolution of science, business, and technology in this key sector.
The author impresses with exceptional scientific rigor, perseverance, and analytical acumen. With great meticulousness and innovative drive, he opens up a challenging and previously under-researched field. The self-designed databases give the work a pioneering character and set new standards for the historical and empirical study of the pharmaceutical industry.
