Product Innovation Process Research Articles

Exploiting the generative design potential to select the best conceptual design of an aerospace component to be produced by additive manufacturing

Since the advent of Industry 4.0, the manufacturing sector has had to face new challenges, which require the development of new skills and innovative tools. This scenario includes innovative production processes such as additive manufacturing (AM), a technology capable of producing a component layer-by-layer directly from the 3D model without needing specific tools during the building phase. Generative design (GD) may represent an opportunity to maximise the potential of AM techniques. GD is based on parametric computer-aided design (CAD) tools capable of generating multiple optimised outputs, among which the designer could select the most promising solution. This paper presents a general methodology for evaluating the GD outputs in the conceptual phase of design to select the best possible solution through a series of criteria at several levels. The evaluation method is deployed in an aerospace field case study. The procedure demonstrates the benefits of synergising GD with AM in the early stages of product development. This indicates that the developed methodology could reduce the number of iterations during the design process, and the result is a decrease in the overall time spent on the project, avoiding problems during the final stages of the design.

Environmental innovation and financial performance: A case study of mediating role of environmental management

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of environmental innovation which is product innovation (PDI) and process innovation (PCI) on firm’s financial performance (FFP). And also, to investigate mediating role of the environment management accounting (EMA) against innovation and FFP. Data were collected from 98 respondents, worked in management positions in Indonesia’s manufacturing sectors. The study uses PLS-SEM (partial least square based structural equation modeling) software for the data analysis. The results showed that PDI has positive and significant impacts on FFP. But PCI has not significant impacts on FFP. Furthermore, PDI and PCI have significant impacts on EMA. This study also indicated that EMA mediate the relationship between innovation and FFP in the manufacturing sector of Indonesia. This study suggests the managers of the manufacturing companies or similar sectors to introduce innovations in their products and processes for developing a better EMA system. The current study also tends to assist policymakers in developing appropriate policies for the manufacturing sector of Indonesia by realizing the importance of environmental innovation, EMA, so that their environmental and economic impacts can be managed and regulated.

The Impact of Intellectual Property Rights City Policy on Firm Green Innovation: A Quasi-Natural Experiment Based on a Staggered DID Model

Green innovation is considered an important way to promote low-carbon society formation and the sustainable development of environmental engineering. However, few quantitative studies have focused on the impact of intellectual property rights (IPR) on firm green innovation (FGI). This paper constructs a quasi-natural experiment based on the IPR pilot city policy in China. We empirically investigated the influence of IPR policy on FGI using a staggered difference-in-differences (DID) model and Chinese listed company data from 2007 to 2020. The findings of this research are as follows: (1) IPR policy significantly promotes FGI, and its effectiveness is confirmed by a variety of robustness tests. (2) The IPR policy supports both green product and green process innovation, with a stronger effect on green product innovation. (3) The IPR policy encourages green independent R&D but has little influence on green joint R&D. (4) The IPR policy promotes FGI with a high knowledge intensity, state-owned enterprises, and firms in key city groups. (5) The IPR policy supports FGI primarily via two institutional channels: increasing R&D investment and easing financing constraints. This paper broadens the study of green innovation city policy and FGI development, offering new perspectives for achieving social and environmental sustainability.

Characterization and analysis of the mode I interlaminar fatigue behaviour of thermoplastic composites considering [formula omitted]-curve effects

Through the application of innovative production processes, thermoplastic composites might help the aviation industry become more sustainable. However, there is currently not much experimental understanding on the fatigue behaviour, and validated analysis methodologies on thermoplastic composites are rather limited. In this work, the fatigue onset and propagation interlaminar properties of AS4D/PEKK-FC thermoplastic composite were characterized under mode I loading. Testing costs were reduced by using a multi-fatigue testing rig that allows loading 6 specimens at the same time. The offset in the fatigue crack growth rate curves tested at different severities was explained by the fatigue R-curve effects. The offset was modelled by means of superposed fatigue cohesive laws. Different approaches on how to consider fatigue damage were compared with experimental data, giving an insight on how fatigue damage evolves, and developing a novel modelling strategy based on a robust method for fatigue model parameter identification for fatigue delamination when several failure mechanisms interact.

How green ambidexterity works?

This study examines the effect of Green Ambidexterity (GA) on Environmental Performance (EP). Where the purpose of this study is to analyse the effect of Green Ambidexterity (GA) on Environmental Performance (EP) in company and assist companies in dealing with emerging ecological environmental problems. By distributing questionnaires to employees who work in the company, 100 answers were collected from the survey conducted. The results of the study found that the positive influence of Green Ambidexterity (GA) on the tested Environmental Performance (EP) was significant. Due to the dependence of environmental performance (EP) on green ambidexterity (GA), the green process of product and service innovation must be a proactive step in company activities.

The influence of the cross-border innovation environment on innovation processes in agri-food enterprises – a case study from the Dutch-German Rhine-Waal region

Enterprises of the agri-food and other sectors develop innovations that can serve the EU’s Green Deal objective to become climate-neutral by 2050. Innovation processes face specific innovation environment conditions, which are beyond the enterprise’s control. Our research aims to investigate how the innovation environment affects product innovation processes of agri-food enterprises located in a cross-border region. We developed our conceptual framework of the “cross-border innovation environment” based on innovation system and innovation management literature. We conducted semi-structured interviews in selected agri-food enterprises in the Dutch-German region Rhine-Waal. Results indicate that agri-food enterprises’ innovation environments concentrated on national-level factors, and that cross-border factors and relationships were rare. Moreover, different factors influenced different stages of innovation processes that were primarily driven by markets compared to research. We conclude that integrating customers and business partners during research and technological development is important to address current challenges of the Green Deal. Understanding how the innovation environment influences innovation processes in agri-food enterprises can help to develop appropriate policies.

How use of knowledge sources influences eco-innovation in the tourism sector through product innovation and/or process innovation

Although studies that analyze eco-innovation without differentiating among industries are proliferating, research has not yet identified the factors that lead to eco-innovation in tourism sector firms. Since innovation in general is nourished by access to knowledge sources and the intensity with which they are used, this study analyzes the effect of intensive use of knowledge sources on eco-innovation in the tourism sector. It also analyzes the possible mediating role of traditional orientation of the firm in product innovation and/or process innovation.We use two data sources: panel data from Spain’s National Statistics Institute on 199 tourism firms for 2011-2015 and primary data gathered from a set of 198 tourism firms collected separately via questionnaire in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic. The second dataset, which was collected independently of the first, aims to corroborate the results of the first in a different economic context and different firms.Our results indicate a significant distinction between product/service and process innovation. The findings show that that tourism firms rely on process innovation to implement eco-innovation, whereas product innovation has no influence in these firms in any of the years analyzed.

An innovative spinning process for production and characterisation of ring-spun hybrid yarns from recycled carbon fibre

The growing focus on sustainability stresses the importance of using materials derived from manufacturing scraps and end of life. Nowadays, a large amount of carbon fibre waste is available, and therefore, it is pivotal to understand how to use it for value-added applications. This paper introduces an innovative spinning process for ring-spun hybrid yarns composed of recycled carbon fibres (rCFs) from manufacturing scraps and virgin thermoplastic fibres in different blending ratios. The ultimate goal is to assess whether such a process is able to produce ring-spun hybrid yarns suitable for the production of polymer composites for structural applications and to determine the blends range that addresses this goal. The actual innovation in this process lies in the use of a ring-spinning machine for the production of hybrid yarns, which were characterised by tensile tests and thermogravimetric analysis combined with differential scanning calorimetry. The results show that the range of rCFs for the production of ring-spun hybrid yarns with good mechanical and thermal properties lies between 50% and 70%. Fibre orientation is crucial, especially for the card web, as is the blending ratio for the whole process. The increase in the number of draw frame doublings and the actual number of remaining rCFs have an impact on the tenacity of the hybrid yarn. Finally, ring-spun hybrid yarns consisting of 70% rCF exhibit slightly higher tensile strength, but with a lower decrease in the quantity of rCFs than those composed of 50% rCF. Thus, they possess the best mechanical and thermal properties and composites made from ring-spun hybrid yarns with 70% rCF should perform better. Overall, this process has the potential to be industrially transposed but needs to be evaluated from an environmental perspective.

PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF THE PRODUCTION STRATEGY OF INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES REGION

The article shows that modern approaches to the management of production strategy at industrial enterprises should meet modern realities. The author's approach is presented, which includes consistent target elements of the production strategy, the stages of medium– and long-term plans are structured and justified, which makes it possible to improve the production strategy, and the authors proposes and justifies a new indicator - the production productivity index, which will help the industrial enterprises of the region to evaluate and plan their activities more effectively. Comparing the goals of a balanced scorecard with current and planned initiatives is becoming an important way to focus and align all structural divisions of an industrial enterprise. The production strategy of industrial enterprises is considered from the point of view of expediency and efficiency of using their own resources within the business environment to achieve their goals. The basis of this approach is the analysis of the production strategy, which includes four components that provide a competitive advantage: the goals and values of an industrial enterprise; resources and capabilities; structure and organizational abilities; competitive advantage in the industry environment. The authors propose a toolkit for improving the competitiveness of industrial enterprises, in which the performance indicators recorded in the strategic map of an industrial enterprise are used to calculate the index of industrial competence and the index of business activity. This approach makes it possible to build production more efficiently, taking into account competitive priorities, advanced production technologies, integrated information systems, innovative production processes, the implementation of which ensures the achievement of results.

The role of entrepreneurial marketing & innovation capability in the performance of SMEs during covid-19 pandemic: Evidence of MSMEs in West Java

The Corona Virus, or COVID-19, has become one of the world’s issues, not only affecting health but also the Indonesian economy. One of the sectors that has been impacted was micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), whose performance has decreased. Entrepreneurial marketing and innovation capability have proven to increase the performance of MSMEs. However, it was still questioned whether entrepreneurial marketing and innovation capability would increase performance during COVID-19 pandemic. We collected data through an online survey to 290 MSMEs in West Java. Statistical analysis using SmartPLS reveal that entrepreneurial marketing (opportunity-driven, proactiveness, customer intensity, risk taking, resource leveraging, and value creation) and innovation capability (product innovation, serve innovation, process innovation, and business model innovation) have a significant effect on the performance of MSMEs (profitability, productivity, domestic market share, profit margin, competitiveness of the MSMEs, ability to maintain profit margin, and rate owners satisfaction with innovation level). Innovation capability has a greater influence, with a value of 0.465, compared to entrepreneurial marketing, with a value of 0.156, on the performance of MSMEs. Serve Innovation and Process Innovation have a significant impact on the dimensions of innovation capability that contribute to MSMEs’ performance. Several practical and theoretical implications for entrepreneurs designing marketing strategies are discussed based on the findings.

A product evaluation and innovation process based on the circular design degree and patents evolution

People have recently become aware of the need to protect the environment. The integration of the circular economy concept and product design has become an essential strategic consideration, and the world is bound to give more attention to circular design. It aims to consider restorability and renewability in stages of the life cycle while doing design, such as the pathway of recycling, disassembling, reusing, and so forth. The purpose is to let waste become resources endlessly and create value continuously. Moreover, facing the demand for constantly changing products, the capability of innovation is also crucial. Hence, a product development process with the notion of circular design and innovative methods with the patent trend is incredibly important, but as we know so far there are few such approaches available, which motivates our study.To begin with, this study identifies five circular design criteria and forty elements to develop a framework for establishing a product design evaluation system for the waste electrical and electronic equipment products from the perspective of the product life cycle and operation procedure. The performance index of circular design degree (CDD) is created for the evaluation system using the Fuzzy Analytic Network Process method. Then, the product design can be evaluated to identify the criteria and elements with a lower CDD score for improvement. In addition, this study uses the TRIZ tool inventive principle from the contradiction matrix to find suitable patents, meanwhile, we use product attributes to find their evolution trends. Finally, after combining product evolution trends and patents, product innovative ideas are generated for suggestions to product designers. A small household electric appliance is used as a case study for illustrating the usefulness of the proposed methodology and guiding the product designers on how to improve and innovate their products with circular design consideration.

Success Factors for Innovation: A Bayesian Network Approach

The purpose of this study is to understand how innovation factors affect innovation and, at the same time, how the process of innovation factors leading to innovation can explain. This study used Bayesian Network Analysis (BNA) to examine the relationship between innovation factors such as information acquisition, research and development, government support system, product innovation and business process innovation using the 2020 Korean Innovation survey (KIS) data. As a result of the analysis, it confirmed that various factors and innovation had a direct or indirect relationship. For example, it found Government tax support, collaborative R&D and information from private research institutes to play an essential role in innovation, and other factors indirectly affect innovation through these factors. The conclusion section discusses the implications and limitations of research results and suggestions for future research.

Innovation Practices and Performance of Islamic Banks in Nairobi-Kenya

Purpose: The dominant feature of the modern financial system is a high pace of innovation practices, both in terms of their number and value. Thus, it is important to analyze their influence on the financial system. The current study aimed at determining the effect of innovation practices on the financial performance of Islamic banks in Kenya. Specifically, the study sought to determine the influence product innovation practices, process innovation practices, technological innovation practices and market innovation practices on the organizational performance of Islamic banks in Kenya. This study was informed by the following theories and models: the innovation diffusion theory of innovation, the Henderson-Clark model of innovation, the Task Technology Fit theory of innovation and the Shareholder’s Wealth Maximization (SWM) Theory.
 Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive research design and targeted 3 Islamic banks in Kenya with a total of 142 managers. The sample selection was scientifically guided using the Yamane (1967) simplified formula to calculate the sample size of 105 respondents. The study used structured questionnaires to collect the data. In order to ascertain how valid and reliable the questionnaires are, a pilot study was carried out. Descriptive statistics was used to collect summary statistics including means and standard deviations while inferential statistics helped in measuring the causal relationship between the variables and included correlation and regression analysis. The generation of the statistics was through SPSS program (v.25.0). The study employed both figures and tables to present the results of the study.
 Findings: The results established that product innovation practices, process innovation practices, technological innovation practices and market innovation practices positively and significantly affect the organizational performance of Islamic commercial banks in Kenya. This is shown by respective beta values of 0.398, 0.311, 0.443 and 0.295 and respective significant values of 0.002, 0.009, 0.000 and 0.01.
 Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The results bears the implications that increasing each of the variable with one unit results to increase in organizational performance levels of Islamic commercial banks with respective beta values. The study recommends the Islamic commercial banks operating in Kenya to enhance their product innovation, process innovation, technological innovation and market innovation practices since the practices positively and significantly affects organizational performance.

The role of standard‐setting organizations in deciding product quality and process innovation

AbstractWe analyze the effect that the presence of a standard‐setting organization (SSO) has on firms' choices of product quality and costly research and development (R&D) investment when consumers face uncertainty regarding product standardization. We construct a theoretical model with competing firms and compare frameworks where: (i) an SSO is exogenously absent and (ii) an SSO is present. Our first finding is a negative relationship between firms' product‐quality choices and R&D investment. The presence of the SSO standardizes quality which can be profitable for firms. Finally, we find conditions where the presence of an SSO could lead to welfare enhancement.

Evaluation of the Quality of the Cement Production Process in Terms of Increasing the Company’s Performance

This article summarizes the arguments surrounding the scientific discussion of the cement production process at a selected company in Slovakia. (1) The main goal of this article is to evaluate the quality of the cement production process with the intention of increasing the performance and quality of the process and the quality of the cement in various assortments. The object of this research was a selected company in Slovakia which focuses on cement production. (2) The methods of research were focused on using statistical, economic, and financial analyses and instruments of quality management, such as the Ishikawa diagram, regression diagram, correlation, and box plot diagram. The relevance of the decision of this scientific research relating to the innovation of the cement production process focused on Industry 4.0 requirements. (3) This paper presents the results of the clinker CaOF content and LS and their quality. These components are used for cement products and are responsible for the quality of cement. This paper obtained a view of barriers in the cement production process, the most important of which are the people involved and their qualifications. (4) These barriers were minimalized and indicated significant improvements in the quality of entry components in the clinker. We suggest reducing CEM III and replacing CEM I-R, which brings higher profit to the company. These results can be instruments or recommendations for other companies utilizing the cement production process.

Entrepreneurial Innovation Strategies and Performance of Dairy Micro and Small Enterprises in Nyeri County, Kenya

Micro and small enterprises (MSEs) have failed to achieve set objectives of generating sustainable growth and employment. The growth and survival rate of micro and small-sized enterprises (MSEs) in Kenya has been one of the major concerns of the policy makers, practitioners and scholars. The high failure rate among small and medium enterprises businesses in Kenya has created an urgent need to identify strategies that will improve their levels of performance. The strategy and entrepreneurship literature suggests that an entrepreneurial competitive strategy improves firm performance, but empirical results are mixed. This study investigated how entrepreneurial competitive strategies: innovativeness, risk-taking and competitive aggressiveness), affect performance of MSEs in Kenya. In doing so, the study examined the moderating effect of external environment on these relationships. The objectives of the study was to determine: the influence of innovativeness, risk taking propensity, competitive aggressiveness, moderating influence of external environment on performance of micro and small enterprises of Dairy MSEs in Nyeri County. The study used a descriptive survey design. The study was anchored on Resource Based Theory, Diffusion Innovation Theory and Entrepreneurship Theories. The target population will be all the managers/Owners in the 146 Dairy MSEs in Nyeri, County Kenya. The study adopted two sampling designs namely stratified and simple random sampling design. The sample size will comprise of 146 respondents. The study used questionnaires to collect primary data. Pilot test was done to three respondents in three Dairy MSEs to refine the research instruments. Content validity was determined by experts. The reliability of the instrument was tested using Cronbach's Alpha coefficient. A Cronbach's coefficient alpha of .80 or higher was adequate in this study to allow the instrument for data collection. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics. To establish the overall relationship between the independent and dependent variables in the conceptual framework. The study identified and recommended the factors that influence entrepreneurial innovation strategies on performance of dairy micro and small enterprises in Nyeri County, Kenya. These were replicated in areas with similar agro ecological zones facing similar challenges. The study found that entrepreneurship product innovation, process innovation and market innovation had a positive and significant influence on the performance of dairy micro and small enterprises in Nyeri County, Kenya. The study concluded that product innovations helps in developing improved versions of existing products in a market, enhancing the functionality or desire for an item by taking consumer feedback to make improvements or discovering additional features and technology to add. Innovative processes typically describe changes to how a company manufactures a product or performs a transaction, so it can yield better results and profits. The concept of marketing innovation identifies a framework for strategies to make important changes in a product/service, function, price, etc. to achieve higher business objectives such as attracting customers, enhancing image and gaining competitive advantages. The study recommended that the organization should determine its objectives first by being clear with their product goals. Understand its market at all times including its customers and competitors so as to understand what else is going on within its market segment. The organization should adopt new technology to increase efficiency and effectiveness such as automation tools that automates the manual tasks in a given process. The organizations can go for rebranding to match their marketing content to a new product or process the company is selling or using. Retain existing customers to help when selling innovative products.

Product process innovation model of fuzzy optimal control of nonlinear system with finite time horizon under granular differentiability concept

Product process innovation model of fuzzy optimal control of nonlinear system with finite time horizon under granular differentiability concept

The relationship between innovation and performance in MSMEs: The case of the wearing apparel sector in emerging countries

In a global context of change and uncertainty, the innovation capacity of organizations is key to their sustained development. The objective of this study is to empirically analyze the relationship between innovation and firm performance of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in emerging countries and to study the moderating role of investment and collaboration in these relationships. The least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) analyzed a sample of 104 SMEs in the wearing apparel sector in Peru and Colombia. Product Innovation together with Business Process Innovation, explained 47.1 % of organizational performance, 41.0 % of economic performance, 39.5 % of commercial performance and 36.9 % of productive performance. However, Product Innovation was not a significant predictor of productive or organizational performance. The moderating effect of Investment on the relationship between Product Innovation and Business Process Innovation and Firm performance was only significant for organizational and productive performance and with respect to the moderating effect of Collaboration on the relationship between Product innovation and Business Process Innovation and Firm performance, in the quantitative analysis no significant prediction was obtained, supported by the results of the surveys where 62.8 % of the MSMEs never received supported from others actors for the development of innovation activities. The application of the findings of this study can contribute to the validation, updating or implementation of public policies that promote collaboration between actors of the innovation ecosystem, as well as in proposal of investment strategies for the development of innovation in emerging countries.

Adakah Pengaruh Modal, Tenaga Kerja, dan Lama Usaha terhadap Pendapatan di IKM Kampoeng Batik, Sidoarjo?

This study aims to determine the effect of the capital, labor, and length of business and the dominant variable affecting Small and Medium Industries (IKM) income. This study uses a quantitative approach with a descriptive discussion. The test was carried out with multiple linear regression using SPSS with a total population of 30 using the accident sampling technique. The results of this study proved that capital and labor have a significant effect, while the length of business has no significant effect on IKM income. The dominantly influential variable is labor. These results provide information to IKM that they can better utilize technology, such as innovation in the batik production process for a cheaper price. Marketing of Batik Tulis Jetis can use social media or international e-commerce such as Instagram and Amazon to further increase income and be able to survive when on social restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pengaruh Stimulus Inovasi terhadap Kinerja Inovasi Dengan Kapabilitas Inovasi sebagai Mediator: Analisis Empiris Pada Industri Batik

MSMEs need to innovate, especially product innovation and process innovation to increase their competitiveness in facing the onslaught of various external changes. This article aims to inform the role of innovation capability in mediating the relationship between innovation stimulus and innovation performance. For this purpose, a sample of 120 people, namely Jambi batik industry entrepreneurs and craftsmen, has been distributed. The collected data were analyzed using the regression method with a mediation approach. The results of the analysis show that (1) innovation stimulus is positively correlated with innovation performance, and (2) innovation capability is proven to mediate the relationship between the two variables. The results of this study suggest that MSME actors, especially those engaged in the batik industry, increase their innovation capabilities through increasing and tightening the innovation stimulus in order to achieve high innovation performance.