Ideas with Impact
UNB Faculty of Management

What do Canada’s evolving electricity systems and the history of powered prosthetic arms have in common? At first glance, not much. But in both cases, recent research by University of New Brunswick business professor Dr. David Foord points to a powerful idea: innovation is rarely straight-forward and sometimes, uncertainty can be an asset.

In an article published in Research Policy titled “The interpretive flexibility of smart grids: transitions, policy mixes and technology innovation systems in the Canadian Maritimes (2009-2022),” Dr. Foord and co-authors, Drs. Maha Tantawy and Daniel Rosenbloom, examine smart grid development in the Canadian Maritimes from 2009 to 2022. While smart grids are widely seen as key to a cleaner energy future, the study shows there is no single vision for how that future should unfold.

Interviews and policy analysis revealed competing approaches: centralized systems, decentralized models, and hybrid combinations. These reflect different priorities, from regional economic development to decarbonization and renewable integration.

Rather than hindering progress, this “policy incoherence” can generate productive uncertainty that creates space for experimentation, dialogue and multiple innovation pathways.

The implications are broad. Policymakers may benefit from resisting early consensus, managers from keeping strategic options open, and students from understanding that meaningful change often emerges through competing ideas rather than clear-cut plans.

The article was recognized with the best paper award in the technology and innovation management division at the 2025 Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC) Conference. The research was supported by a contribution from Jane and Mike Wilson to the Wilson-McKenna Fellow in Digital Sustainability and UNB’s McKenna Institute.

While the smart grid study looks forward, Dr. Foord’s forthcoming book takes a long view of the past.

A History of Knowledge and Production in Powered Prosthetic Arms, published this April by Routledge/CRC Press, traces the evolution of upper-limb prosthetics from ancient times to today. It charts a shift from handcrafted devices to interdisciplinary innovation across universities, clinics and industry.

The book highlights how ideas about rehabilitation, disability and the human body have shaped design, supported by case studies from leading institutions, including the University of New Brunswick.

Across both projects, a clear theme emerges: technology evolves within interactions among social, scientific, technological, cultural and institutional contexts. Understanding these contexts is critical for both charting innovation and examining it historically.

These insights resonate across sectors, offering valuable lessons for organizations, communities and leaders navigating complex change.

As Dr. Foord’s research shows, technological evolution is less about choosing a single path than about creating the conditions to explore many.

Photo: Recent research by Dr. David Foord highlights how competing visions shape the technologies that shape our world.

Learn more about UNB’s faculty of management and Dr. David Foord.