“Radical Innovation in the Age of COVID“

How we used a fusion of systematic innovation and quantitative analysis to anticipate the Apple / Google initiative for a non-intrusive approach to contact tracing

We used systematic innovation to formulate a model and simulate the progression of COVID-19 in Italy and South Korea. Our socio-technical analysis derived potential implications for global response; it was published as the lead article @ ORMS Today (the journal of operations research and management science). We combined a comprehensive problem-solving approach with rigorous quantitative analysis. We simulated the underlying biological parameters and their interactions with corresponding social interventions.

We identified particular configurations that would enable containment of the virus without destroying the economy. Our analysis suggests a more nuanced combination of social interventions with particular emphasis on a sustainable approach to contact tracing; we anticipated the Apple / Google initiative for a non-intrusive approach to connection-based contact tracing. Our analysis also informs the current controversy over asymptomatic transmission.

We’ll discuss the application of systematic innovation to formulate the problem and solution; we’ll also discuss the broader implications of systematic innovation for product development and portfolio analysis in the COVID world and beyond.

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