Is Innovation Diffusion Possible for Engineers?

This presentation was made at the NAFEMS Americas CAASE19 Virtual Conference.

Abstract

The use of modeling and simulation in many places may be quite shallow, limited to a small number of highly capable and motivated individuals. It has not become mainstream outside of automotive, aerospace and a few other industries. This is classic case of an innovation being embraced by early adopters, but not by the so-called “early majority” and “late majority”—the vast majority of the potential users. Ever wonder why others are not readily using the simulation approaches that you have developed? Democratization of simulation has been discussed for years? Where are we? Why do some people adopt new technologies faster than others? How do we influence this in the workplace? What can we learn from social science research in term of how and why people “opt-in” or “opt-out” to new ways of working. Tune in to learn how to deploy the classic “Diffusion of Innovation” approaches to enable more people to participate.