Fast innovation isn’t sustainable and is likely to fail

It is in one sense reasonable to wish for acceleration in innovation. Because it is the source of wealth and well-being, and the likely solution to many (if not most) social and environmental challenges, people put great faith in innovation. It is therefore only expectable and understandable if society would want to see its processes accelerated in order to bring more improvements to more people, faster. Meanwhile, the speed imperative also risks breeding unsustainable practices, shortsightedness, and greed. Chasing higher speeds and swifter returns runs counter to careful improvement of ideas and inventions in a way that creates durable and sustainable benefits for the many. There is a major risk that the speed imperative makes innovators, producers and marketers favor the easily sellable and the easily disposable—more products sold, more revenue, resulting also in more waste and less satisfied consumers, in the long run and broader perspective. Speed also causes problems such as stress and mental health issues, and waste of natural and human resources (Hasu et al. 2012: 89).