For an engineering concept to be considered innovative it must be a new method or product; but it can also be a modification to an existing method or product. Generally the function of innovation is to overcome a new obstacle or improve a current solution for any project. For the purposes of this document innovation will not be defined as just an improvement. However, innovation could give rise to new problems. Given this situation the engineer may not have taken all the necessary measures to ensure the successful application of the new design. One of these engineers (William LeMessurier) and the design concept will be discussed in this article. The definition of innovation in engineering will be developed and the question of whether or not there are additional obligations imposed on the engineer as a result of the innovation will be addressed. It has previously been stated that innovation produces new problems, which is still true, but the statement can be confusing given the definition of innovation versus the definition of invention. Invention is the generation of an idea while innovation is the attempted implementation of that idea. Having established the general definitions, it is necessary to broaden the definition of innovation. An idea cannot be considered innovative if its application is not accepted. For a concept to be considered innovative it must meet the design criteria. An innovative project must possess or more of the following characteristics: unusual, revolutionary, new, or a significant transformation compared to the previous project. In the field of engineering the distinction between innovative and non-innovative projects is mainly based on pioneering. An engineer's purpose is to improvise... middle of paper......state that the overnight welding was the result of "an update to reflect a recent change in New York building codes"2. This statement was misleading but not irresponsible. Public health, safety and welfare were not ignored in association with the Citicorp project. Precautions were taken and information was shared among those in a position to make an impact. Informing the public of a design flaw would most likely cause panic and severe economic losses. For his part, engineer LeMessurier acted responsibly. As chief engineer, public relations and press releases are not his responsibility. References1. "Innovation". Britannica Family Encyclopedia. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008.2. E. HARRIS and R. JAMES, ENGR 482 Class Notes, Texas A&M University (Fall 2009).3. HARRIS,PRITCHARD, RABINS, “Engineering Ethics”, Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, Belmont (2009)