Multivariate models for innovation—Looking at the Abernathy-Utterback model with other data

The contribution of the Utterback and Abernathy model is reviewed from the point of view of methodology; then its feasibility is tested with United Kingdom multivariate data on innovation covering many industries. Although some aspects of innovation are confirmed, some facts that do not fit the model suggest that it might be a building block but still fails to give an integrative framework to understand innovation.