Thought leadership

Bruce Vojak is an internationally recognized expert on innovation in mature companies and industries.

His more than decade-long academic research study of Serial Innovators led to a new and critically important understanding of the role of innovation exemplars in mature companies of all sizes, resulting in the publication of the highly-regarded book Serial Innovators: How Individuals Create and Deliver Breakthrough Innovations in Mature Firms (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2012), co-authored with Abbie Griffin and Ray Price.

His similarly extensive exploration of innovation in small- and medium-sized mature enterprises led to a clear understanding of how innovation succeeds in such organizations and resulted in the publication of the similarly well-received No-Excuses Innovation: Strategies for Small- and Medium-Sized Mature Enterprises (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2022), co-authored with Walter Herbst.

And this isn’t everything. In all, Bruce has authored five invited book chapters, 70 peer-reviewed journal publications, and 48 conference presentations—spanning both his technical and business careers. He has contributed significantly to both the technical and innovation literatures.

As a result of his deep, actionable insight, Bruce is regularly called upon as a keynote, conference, and podcast speaker.

Books authored

Griffin, Price & Vojak, Serial Innovators: How Individuals Create and Deliver Breakthrough Innovations in Mature Firms (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2012)

• Stanford University Press website for Serial Innovators
• Two-page brief on Serial Innovators
• Purchase Serial Innovators from Amazon
• Purchase Serial Innovators in Japanese translation from Amazon.co.jp

Vojak & Herbst, No-Excuses Innovation: Strategies for Small- and Medium-Sized Mature Enterprises (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2022)

• Stanford University Press website for No-Excuses Innovation
• Two-page brief on No-Excuses Innovation
• Purchase No-Excuses Innovation from Amazon

Podcast appearances

Invited book chapters

Vojak (2017). “A Historical Perspective on the Epistemology of Breakthrough Innovation” in Michelfelder, Newberry, and Zhu (vol. eds.) Philosophy and Engineering: Exploring Boundaries, Expanding Connections in Vermaas (series editor-in-chief) Philosophy of Engineering and Technology (Springer).

Vojak and Price (2014). “On the Epistemology of Breakthrough Innovation: The Non-Linear and Orthogonal Natures of Discovery” in Goldberg, McCarthy, and Michelfelder (vol. eds.) Philosophy and Engineering: Reflections on Practice, Principles and Process in Vermaas (series editor-in-chief) Philosophy of Engineering and Technology (Springer).

Vojak, Price, and Griffin (2010). “Corporate Innovation” in Froedeman, Klein, and Mitcham (eds.) Oxford Handbook of Interdisciplinarity (Oxford University Press).

Suarez-Nunez, Monahan, and Vojak (2008). “A Conceptual Model of Knowledge Management for Strategic Technology Planning in the Value Chain” in Dwivedi and Butcher (eds.) Supply Chain Management and Knowledge Management – Integrating Critical Perspectives in Theory and Practice (Palgrave).

Vojak and Chambers (2006). “Roadmapping Disruptive Technical Threats and Opportunities in Complex, Technology-Based Sub-Systems: The SAILS Methodology” in Kahn (ed.) Innovate or Perish: Managing the Enduring Technology Company in the Global Market (Wiley).

Peer-reviewed journal articles and conference presentations

Bruce Vojak’s research career consists of two distinct phases: a twenty-five-year stream (1977 to 2002) in the general field of applied physics and an over twenty-five-year stream (1999 to present) in the general field of innovation.

A list of Bruce’s authored or co-authored 70 peer-reviewed journal publications and 48 conference presentations—spanning both his technical and business careers—is available upon request.