Eric Arthur von Hippel

Eric Arthur von Hippel is the T Wilson (1953) Professor in Management and Professor of Management of Innovation and Engineering Systems at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on understanding user-driven innovation patterns and their implications for policy and industry. He holds a BA in economics from Harvard College, an SM in mechanical engineering from MIT, and a PhD in business and engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University.

Key research areas include user-centered innovation, innovation commons, and strategic management of technological development. His work emphasizes how user communities drive product development in sectors like open-source software and sports equipment. Current projects explore policy frameworks for user innovation and its global applications.

Recent publications highlight data commons strategies, informal innovation in South Africa, and systemic approaches to innovation adoption. His work has earned accolades such as Portugal's National Medal of Science (2020) and the Innovation Luminary Award.

He collaborates with institutions globally (Netherlands, Denmark, UK) to shape innovation policies and leads MIT's initiatives on collective intelligence and digital economy strategies through affiliations with the Martin Trust Center and Virtual Customer Initiative.