Leapfrogging

Extracted Attributes

• Definition

  A concept where radical innovations allow new firms or entities to surpass established dominant ones, bypassing incremental advancements.

• Primary Domains

  Economics, Business, Industrial Organization, Economic Growth

• Application Scope

  Firms, developing countries, cities

• Mechanism in Development

  Skipping inferior, less efficient, more expensive, or more polluting technologies and industries to move directly to more advanced ones.

• Conditions for Occurrence

  Can occur accidentally (when better systems are available) or be initiated intentionally (e.g., through policies promoting advanced technologies).

• Historical Examples of Enabling Technologies

  The wheel, the plough, the printing press, the steam engine

Timeline

• The noun 'leapfrog' is first recorded. (Source: web_search_results)

  1599

• The verb 'leapfrog' is first recorded. (Source: web_search_results)

  1872

• The concept of leapfrogging was originally developed in the area of industrial organization and economic growth. (Source: wikipedia)

  Unknown

• The concept is increasingly being used in the context of sustainable development for developing countries. (Source: wikipedia)

  Recent

Leapfrogging

Leapfrogging is a concept used in many domains of the economics and business fields, and was originally developed in the area of industrial organization and economic growth. The main idea behind the concept of leapfrogging is that small and incremental innovations usually lead a dominant firm to stay ahead, but sometimes, radical innovations will permit new firms to leapfrog the ancient and dominant firm. The phenomenon can occur to firms but also to leadership of countries or cities, where a developing country can skip stages of the path taken by industrial nations, enabling them to catch up sooner, particularly in terms of economic growth.

Web Search Results

• Leapfrogging - Wikipedia

  ## Leapfrogging in developing countries [edit] More recently the concept of leapfrogging is being used in the context of sustainable development for developing countries as a theory of development which may accelerate development by skipping inferior, less efficient, more expensive or more polluting technologies and industries and move directly to more advanced ones. [...] Leapfrogging is a concept used in many domains of the economics and business fields, and was originally developed in the area of industrial organization and economic growth. The main idea behind the concept of leapfrogging is that small and incremental innovations usually lead a dominant firm to stay ahead, but sometimes, radical innovations will permit new firms to leapfrog the ancient and dominant firm. The phenomenon can occur to firms but also to leadership of countries or cities, where a [...] ## Necessary conditions [edit] Leapfrogging can occur accidentally, when the only systems around for adoption are better than legacy systems elsewhere, or situationally, such as the adoption of decentralized communication for a sprawling, rural countryside. It may also be initiated intentionally, e.g. by policies promoting the installation of WiFi and free computers in poor urban areas.

• Leapfrogging - ISS African Futures

  Leapfrogging is a well-established phenomenon in human history. It was originally associated with the wheel, the plough, the printing press and the steam engine, each accompanied by unthinkable shifts in productivity. It is the story of technological innovation in one place that, once copied by others, allows the latecomers to leapfrog as they can sweep aside the old, outdated technologies through a process often described as creative destruction. Such as when the printing press defeated the [...] Leapfrogging can contribute to narrowing Africa’s infrastructure deficit as it advances rates of progress in many sectors. An example of leapfrogging and its impact is the US shale oil and gas industry and how it has shifted geopolitics. Africa must invest in renewables and mini-grid systems to leapfrog in energy and provide electricity for its large rural population currently without access. [...] Leapfrogging is not only about improving growth, infrastructure and income. The Leapfrogging and Large Infrastructure scenario will also reduce poverty in Africa. Madagascar, a low-income country, will benefit the most, reducing its 2043 poverty headcount (using the US$1.90 benchmark) by five percentage points below the Current Path. Sierra Leone, a lower-middle-income country, will reduce its poverty headcount (also using the US$1.90 benchmark) by 4.8 percentage points below the Current Path.

• Leapfrogging

  "The concept ofleapfrogging was originally used in the context of economic growth theories and industrial-organization innovation studies with specific focus on competition among firms. It is based on Joseph Schumpeter's notion of ‘gales of creative destruction’. The hypothesis proposes that companies holding monopolies based on incumbent technologies have less incentive to innovate than potential rivals, and therefore they eventually lose their technological leadership role when new radical [...] © 2025 Leapfrog Web Solutions EIRL. All rights reserved. [...] technological innovations are adopted by new firms which are ready to take the risks. When the radical innovations eventually become the new technological paradigm, the newcomer companies leapfrog ahead of former leading firms." (

• How Technology Leapfrogging Creates Unexpected Market ...

  AI enables emerging markets to bypass traditional construction software, creating opportunities via tech leapfrogging in Europe & India.

• LEAPFROG Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

  link icon link icon link icon noun verb # leapfrog ## noun How to pronounce leapfrog (audio) next leapfrog ## verb intransitive verb transitive verb ## Examples of leapfrog in a Sentence ## Word History Noun 1599, in the meaning defined above Verb 1872, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense ## Rhymes for leapfrog ## Browse Nearby Words ## Cite this Entry “Leapfrog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Accessed 14 Dec. 2025. ## Share ## Kids Definition [...] © 2025 Merriam-Webster, Incorporated [...] leapfrog ## More from Merriam-Webster on leapfrog Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for leapfrog Nglish: Translation of leapfrog for Spanish Speakers Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! ## More from Merriam-Webster Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word. ### Can you solve 4 words at once? ### Can you solve 4 words at once?