T. Wilson (1953) Professor of Management
Professor of Engineering Systems

Eric von Hippel is T. Wilson (1953) Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management and Professor in the Engineering Systems Division in the MIT School of Engineering.

Von Hippel is a graduate of Harvard College (BA), MIT (MS) and Carnegie Mellon University (Ph.D.). He is a recipient of honorary doctorates from Ludwig-Maximillians University in Munich, and Copenhagen Business School, was a fellow at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, and served as Sir Walter Scott Distinguished Professor at University of New South Wales in Australia.

His academic research examines the sources and economics of innovation. His special focus is the current shift towards a user-centered innovation model and away from the producer-centered innovation model that has driven policy, economics and innovation management practices since the industrial revolution. His most recent book on this topic Democratizing Innovation (MIT Press, 2005) can be freely downloaded from the web.

News and announcements:

Books Published by Eric von Hippel

Prof. von Hippel in Seattle Times on consumer-driven design – Stepping into the shoes of a designer (July 3, 2008)

Prof. von Hippel quoted in Boston Globe (February 12, 2008)