4.1.2. Future Emergent

The Future Emergent quadrant of the typology is characterized primarily by innovation beyond incremental processes or technological improvements (i.e., exploration [56]). While it may not be a stated goal of firms within this space, the successful commercialization of these products and processes has the potential to disrupt the industry. Future Emergent products are substitutes for existing, relatively standardized products. Laboratory-grown meat, for example, strives to be a replacement for meat produced through Mainstream, Growth, or Niche methods. In contrast with Growth's plant-based protein substitutes (e.g., soy-based nuggets or plant-based ground beef substitutes), these processes aim to create products that, at a cellular level, are identical to animal cells, and which replicate the texture and appearance of meat. We deduce that industrial conventions are aspirational for Future Emergent products; in order to commercialize their relatively generic products, Future Emergent production needs to be at an industrial scale to compete successfully with comparable Mainstream products. As long as products in this space remain undifferentiated, it is unlikely that they will compete directly with Niche or Growth products. Ecological sustainability is also a part of the value proposition for Future Emergent; however, the technologies within this quadrant are still maturing and their relative ecologic sustainability compared to other quadrants are uncertain. Similarly, these products and processes have not yet fulfilled the market convention in terms of being commercially viable.
