18-04.
Sailing Ship Effect
Pattern description
The Sailing Ship Effect is a phenomenon by which the introduction of a new technology to a market accelerates the innovation of an incumbent technology. The term was coined by W.H. Ward in 1967 in reference to advances made in sailing ships in the second half of the 1800s in response to the introduction of steamships. According to Ward, in the 50 years after the introduction of the steam ship, sailing ships made more improvements than they had in the previous 300 years. The term "Sailing Ship Effect" applies to situations in which an old technology is revitalized, experiencing a "last gasp" when faced with the risk of being replaced by a newer technology.
Inventive problems
It is necessary to invest in developing new products in order to create the new products.
There is no need to invest in developing new products in order to reduce costs.