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The book provides a snapshot of a hot topic - the systemic nature of innovation and its relevance to design - with a trifold perspective: the academic level - the literature on innovation studies and design is often neglected and a clear connection between the two topics taken for granted; the research level - collaborative models are currently considered great opportunities for transforming consumption, production and distribution of goods, but a clear scholarly discourse is still forming; the political level - the European Commission and the OECD are devoting much effort to understanding and measuring the impact of design in innovation processes and firms and a clear contribution would greatly support this path. Thus the book provides an informed, historical and nuanced perspective to the relationship between design and innovation to contribute to all three levels and to propose a point of view that goes beyond aesthetics and meanings.

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1 Innovation and Design: a fragmented relationship.- 2 Innovation by networking or systemic innovation.- 3 Devising collaborative networks for Innovation.- 4 NETS: an approach to designing collaborative networks.- 5 Open discussions and future challenges.

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