Challenging incommensurability – What we can learn from Ludwik Fleck for the analysis of complex technical systems

This paper explores the work of Ludwik Fleck and its applicability for the analysis of innovation in complex technical systems. The objectives of the paper are twofold. First, it strives to bring Ludwik Fleck back on the map of technology analysis. For this purpose, it develops a Fleckian perspective on technological change and innovation that augments the well-known concept of technological paradigms with insights about thought styles and collectives. Secondly, the paper shows that this perspective provides important cues to understand the interactions of different industrial sectors in innovation – a common yet under-researched occurrence in innovation of complex technical systems.