A Case Study for Accelerated Radical Innovation: Monochromatic X-rays

To illustrate the application of accelerated radical innovation (ARI), this paper examines a promising new cancer therapy technique now at the juncture between phase i (inception) and phase (ii implementation) of the ARI industrial technology life cycle (ITLC). The new technology which uses tunable, monochromatic X-rays shows significant promise in the delivery of curative radiation therapy targeted specifically at the DNA of cancerous cells, sparing normal tissues. Factors that have inhibited its commercialization include the high capital cost of the equipment, the lack of an established supply chain for the key component of the system, and the reluctance of investors to gamble on what they perceive as a long-term high-risk investment. The path of this innovation is studied in depth, both retrospectively and prospectively, through the perspective of ARI to determine how this promising radical innovation can be accelerated into widespread clinical use. The paper demonstrates that the ARI methodology offers a flexible set of tools and procedures that can be adapted to innovations at this critical juncture of the ITLC, provides a structured approach to uncovering the challenges that all such risky endeavors face, and offers a template for dealing with them as they arise.