New Product Development Research Articles

Traditional preference mapping and computational machine learning techniques: A comparative study of approaches to guide product development

Preference mapping, a well-known set of multivariate statistical techniques, has become widely adopted due to its demonstrated effectiveness as a powerful tool in guiding the development of new products and enhancing existing ones. Recent advancements in open-source software and computational capabilities have introduced a new set of accessible tools with the potential to address limitations associated with traditional methods. This study introduces an alternative algorithm for building predictive models, employing regularized regression in combination with Multivariate Adaptive Regression Spline (MARS). These methods make fewer assumptions about the relationship between predictors and the target and can easily capture complex and non-linear relationships. Additionally, the study presents a robust and systematic alternative approach for calculating optimum profiles and performing simulations. The paper aims to compare this new set of tools, referred to as computational machine learning techniques, with a well-established and widely recognized method − PrefMap based on Partial Least Squares Regression. The primary intention of the comparison between computational machine learning and one example of a traditional approach is not to determine a winning methodology, but rather to enhance awareness and deepen the understanding of this emerging family of models and techniques now available to sensory and consumer scientists. Results are assessed side by side to reveal their similarities and differences in terms of predictive power, drivers of liking, and the optimal profile aspects, and a list of practical considerations is provided at the end, enabling a better understanding of the trade-offs between the two approaches presented here.

Advancing nurse led innovations

To innovate is to bring forward positive change for a population of people who are affected by a pervasive unmet need. In nursing and healthcare, new inventions must address how to advance quality issues. These advancements can be through one or further of the six disciplines of quality (e.g., safe, effective, efficient, indifferent, timely, and patient- centred). Nursing history is rich with invention sweats to advance the profession. Nursing has recently endured a new regeneration of focus on invention through academics, practice, disquisition, and education. Nursing must continue to evolve and meet the contemporary conditions of our peers and the people which we serve. Embracing the power of invention as a profession can help us address the multitudinous pervasive unmet nursing and healthcare needs across the globe. Innovation is “The design, invention, development, and/ or perpetration of new or altered products, services, systems, organizational structures, or business models for the purpose of creating new value for guests and fiscal returns for the establishment ”. The Advisory Committee on Measuring Innovation in the 21st Century Economy, 2008, pg. i).

The Role of Ria Miranda in Improving the Implementation of the Ramadan Campaign Towards Giordano Product Sales

This research discusses the role of Ria Miranda in improving the implementation of the Ramadan Campaign towards Giordano product sales. With the development of time and changes in societal behavior, Giordano collaborates with local designers with the aim of boosting product sales. This involves determining materials and ornaments that form the basis of the theme chosen for the campaign. This study also examines the marketing strategies employed by both brands, such as conducting product launching events, optimizing public figures as promotional mediums to foster positive interaction towards purchase intention. Collaborative strategies between brands to enhance campaign execution are considered to be relatively easy and effective in their application, thus influencing sales increase.

How organizational conditions affect employees’ intentions to engage in intrapreneurial new venturing

Many businesses are finding it difficult to strengthen employees' intentions to engage in intrapreneurial new venturing. In this study, we investigate the organizational conditions that are conducive to the formation of such intentions, specifically employees' intentions to initiate the development of new products or services in their host corporation. The results from a survey of 3492 employees of Swedish companies, including small, medium-sized, and large firms, reveal that recognizing and rewarding personal achievements, maintaining a risk-taking organizational culture, and top management support are all associated with stronger employee intentions to engage in intrapreneurial new venturing. There is weaker support for the predicted positive effect of personal independence and the presence of intrapreneurial role models. Time availability appears to have an inverted u-shaped relationship to employees’ intentions to engage in intrapreneurial new venturing. Overall, the findings support the idea that organizations can be purposefully designed for strengthening intrapreneurial new venturing among their employees.

Aureobasidium pullulans formulations: evaluation of the effectiveness against grey mould of table grape

Antagonism against Botrytis cinerea is often carried out using yeast as direct antagonists. Aureobasidium pullulans strain AP1 was tested in two different formulations: wettable powder (WP) and oil dispersion (OD). By in vitro assays, the viability of the strain cells was constantly evaluated for seven months and the OD formulation ensured the highest cells viability. The efficacy of the formulations was assayed by evaluating the production of volatile and non-volatile metabolites. Results showed that the formulation affected the non-volatile less than the volatile metabolites. Both AP1 WP and AP1 OD non-volatile metabolites displayed almost 50% of mycelial pathogen inhibition. Comparing the two products, the lowest EC50 value (518.15 mg L− 1) was detected for the AP1 OD formulation that was thus chosen for postharvest in vivo assays. The preventative treatments (200, 400, 800 mg L− 1) were active in reducing the pathogen incidence on table grape on average by 52%. Instead, in the curative application assay, the highest concentration (800 mg L− 1) reduced grey mold incidence by 86%. The present study reported the potential of two new formulations to use against the postharvest grey mold of table grape for a possible further commercial product development.

E-Commerce and Live Stream Slip-Ups: Sic Transit Gloria Italian Top Influencer Chiara Ferragni. Uncovering New Attitudes in both Consumer Behavior and Brand Strategies

For those unacquainted with Latin brocards, the title alludes to the downfall of the Italian influencer Chiara Ferragni, currently embroiled in a significant scandal. In contemporary times, numerous international brands resort to influencers to endorse and bolster the sales of their products. Among the various prominent figures, such as footballers, singers, and actors, the 36-year-old Chiara Ferragni distinctly stands out as one of the most renowned fashion bloggers, a designated celebrity, and an influential opinion leader on the global stage. In a span of just a few years, Ferragni successfully established an extensive economic and commercial empire, facilitating the launch and sale of products bearing her name. Moreover, she became a pivotal figure for numerous luxury companies, leveraging her media influence to enhance their profitability, constituting the foundational underpinning of social influencer marketing. Over time, Ferragni endorsed a myriad of products from renowned brands, spanning clothing, female beauty accessories, and food products, amassing a current fortune of 45 million euros. However, on December 15, 2023, the Italian Antitrust Authority (AGCM) imposed a fine of over 1 million euros on Ferragni for deceptive advertising practices and consumer deception. According to the AGCM, the influencer omitted pertinent information in her online advertisements, disseminated false information, and employed forms of undue influence. Subsequently, Ferragni also faced suspicions of alleged criminal fraud. This qualitative research paper aims to explore the ongoing investigations, Ferragni’s defense strategies, and the reactions of her followers and clients. The findings reveal a trend where numerous significant brands are severing ties with Ferragni as sponsors, leading to an erosion of consumer trust in the influencer category, and prompting a shift towards a more discerning consumer attitude.

Pricing, Procurement and Reimbursement Policies for Incentivizing Market Entry of Novel Antibiotics and Diagnostics: Learnings from 10 Countries Globally.

Fostering market entry of novel antibiotics and enhanced use of diagnostics to improve the quality of antibiotic prescribing are avenues to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is a major public health threat. Pricing, procurement and reimbursement policies may work as AMR 'pull incentives' to support these objectives. This paper studies pull incentives in pricing, procurement and reimbursement policies (e.g., additions to, modifications of, and exemptions from standard policies) for novel antibiotics, diagnostics and health products with a similar profile in 10 study countries. It also explores whether incentives for non-AMR health products could be transferred to AMR health products. This research included a review of policies in 10 G20 countries based on literature and unpublished documents, and the production of country fact sheets that were validated by country experts. Initial research was conducted in 2020 and updated in 2023. Identified pull incentives in pricing policies include free pricing, higher prices at launch and price increases over time, managed-entry agreements, and waiving or reducing mandatory discounts. Incentives in procurement comprise value-based procurement, pooled procurement and models that delink prices from volumes (subscription-based schemes), whereas incentives in reimbursement include lower evidence requirements for inclusion in the reimbursement scheme, accelerated reimbursement processes, separate budgets that offer add-on funding, and adapted prescribing conditions. While a few pull incentives have been piloted or implemented for antibiotics in recent years, these mechanisms have been mainly used to incentivize launch of certain non-AMR health products, such as orphan medicines. Given similarities in their product characteristics, transferability of some of these pull incentives appears to be possible; however, it would be essential to conduct impact assessments of these incentives. Trade-offs between incentives to foster market entry and thus potentially improve access and the financial sustainability for payers need to be addressed.

A New Approach to Public Contracting of Sustainable Construction Using Innovation Partnership

Sustainable public procurement of construction projects is a key objective to fulfill the targets of the EU Green Deal, the new Regulation approved by the European Parliament, and the conditions required by the Facility of Recovery and Resilience approved by EU. However, most of the adopted procedures are based on traditional procedures, open competition, or restricted procedures, which are not appropriate for developing an innovative approach aiming for more ambitious sustainable objectives. Innovation partnership is a new procedure introduced by the EU Directives of Public Procurement of 2014 ( Article 31º of 2014/24/UE), and it has been discussed and applied to the development of new products but, unfortunately, its potential has not been studied as a tool to prepare and to award more innovative and sustainable contracts of public works. This is the objective of the research presented in this paper, and a set of guidelines is deduced and discussed to support public contracting authorities to make better use of innovation partnerships.

Technology Prospection of Ora-pro-Nóbis (Pereskia aculeata Mill.): A Non-conventional Food Plant.

The ora-pro-nóbis (Pereskia aculeata Mill.) is a plant from Brazilian biodiversity used for food and medicinal purposes. It has ample technological potential, however, it is still underutilized, being classified as a Non-Conventional Food Plant (PANC). Prospective studies in intellectual property banks make it possible to expand perspectives for scientific research, enhancing the generation of new products. Evaluate the patents of products containing Pereskia aculeata Mill. for the areas of food and health in intellectual property databases. The study was conducted through structured prospective investigation (collection, processing and analysis) in 4 patent databases: National Institute of Intellectual Property (INPI) - Brazil, United States Patent and Trademark Office, World Trade Organization Intellectual Property (WIPO) and Espacenet. The evaluation showed a reduced number of registered patents. In general, 8 patent applications were examined, of which 7 are directly associated with the species (and its derivatives) and 1 is related to a device specially designed for harvesting leaves/fruits and removing thorns. The focus of the patents was the use of the species in the food, pharmaceutical and biotechnological areas, with emphasis on the use of the leaves in the extraction of mucilage and proteins. This study showed that Pereskia aculeata Mill. is a technologically promising plant, because of its nutritional and medicinal composition, and it is important to encourage innovation and the development of new products with the species.

A Bibliometric Analysis of Knowledge Dynamics and Open Innovation Process

Abstract The article investigates from an analytical perspective the relationship between knowledge dynamics and open innovation and their influence on today's business environment. The present study starts from the premise that the development of a fluid and constant flow of knowledge exchange outside the organization influences the processes of open innovation. Allowing the rapid adaptation of organizations to the new effervescent demands of the market and consumers. The addition brought by this paper represents a conceptual expansion of the need to understand the possible implications of external and internal knowledge, of a rational, emotional, or spiritual nature, on the processes of development of new strategies, products, and services. There is no substantial information available in the specialized literature about the two concepts, which highlights the need to develop more qualitative and quantitative research in this direction. Using the bibliometric analysis with VOSviewer software, the paper presents a series of results that can be further developed and analyzed. The first perspective highlighted by this study is the potential of emotional, rational, and spiritual knowledge to improve relationships with consumers as a result of implementing a constant flow of communication. This fact is supported by the symbiotic relationship between the role of knowledge dynamics in encouraging the exchange of knowledge between consumers and organizations that stimulates an open, transparent communication environment focused on continuous learning. The study also emphasizes the involvement of collaboration, adaptability, and dynamic capabilities to explore how knowledge dynamics influence and stimulate innovative culture.

A Study on the Marketing Strategy for a New Product Development and Launch in the Market

In today’s market careful planning and a good product strategy are essential to help you succeeding in the market. Companies everywhere are competing more than ever to develop new and unique products or services and gain a higher position in the market. Companies develop a high number of new products every year. Most of these products fail to secure competitive advantages and end up being just another high cost for the company. The aim of this thesis is to develop a product development and launch process for Company X, Finnish supplier of roll handling equipment for the paper industry. The need for this thesis came during the author´s working experience with the company. Company X is a young company that creates innovative products for the industry. Developing new unique products that offer several benefits to the customers is the company mission and at the same time one of the main strengths. As the new product development is a continuous process and Company X is growing its product portfolio continuously, the commissioner felt the need instructuring the product development and launch process in a well-defined step-by-step process that is easy to follow and communicate internally. The author’s knowledge and experience gained during the studies in international business and working with in the paper industry can be utilized to help Company X in building this process. New products are very essential for the corporate success. Innovation is a must if you want to continue competing in the market. However the new product development is one of the riskiest processes that require focus and high investments. Several studies have been done in the successful product launch cases, and success drivers have been discovered. Corporations are using a structured idea-to- launch processes which help them manage implementing these success drivers and reduce the risk of product launch fail.

Innovating the Future: Unveiling the Initial Iteration of the Pragmatic Framework for Product Managers

Context: This study introduces the Pragmatic Framework for Product Managers, a tool developed to enhance the understanding and application of product management activities. Objectives: The aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of Product Manager (PM) activities that positively impact efficiency, business growth, budget control, user satisfaction, and release processes. The framework is intended to aid decision-making, training, and clarifying the PM role, ultimately contributing to product success. Methods: A systematic literature review of 134 studies was conducted to develop the PFPM. This extensive research led to identifying and classifying 122 activities into 33 categories within 6 domains, forming a robust framework for product managers. Results: The PFPM, in its initial iteration, represents a minimal viable product of the framework. The research findings highlight the framework’s potential for future refinement, particularly in the context of software startups. Conclusion: The PFPM significantly affects software companies' product decision-making, PM training, and role transparency. It is a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners in Software Product Management (SPM), Requirement Engineering (RE), New Product Development (NPD), and innovation. The framework paves the way for future studies focused on the unique dynamics of PM activities in the software startup ecosystem.

INVESTIGACIÓN BIOMÉDICA EN CHILE: APRENDIZAJE EN 48 AÑOS DE DIÁLOGO CON LAS PLAQUETAS

Biomedical research in Chile is necessary, it positions us at the limit of knowledge and improves the quality, accreditation and ranking of the academic institutions where it is developed. Its financing requires the political commitment regarding its importance for our country and of academic institutions to create a protective microenvironment for its flourishment. Private companies have consistently increased their contribution to R&D, but understandably, with a smaller presence in biomedicine. Specific competencies of the investigators may be highly useful and decisions regarding introduction of new products and technologies in clinical and laboratory grounds. Despite the remoteness of the major research centers, our work will be relevant if we overcome our objective limitations with creativity and extra effort. These include available resources, considering that the fraction of GDP budget for R&Din OCDE countries is 8 times higher than ours; proficiency in English language is a major problem for many of us; establishing trusting relationships with leading researchers in the field is a pre-requisite to grant our insertion in major scientific societies and for creating international collaborations; eagerly evaluate and use the transiently open windows for research; use the benefits of comparative advantages or unique conditions in Chile that enhance the originality of our studies; as phy­sicians, we have privileged access to patients for descriptive or mechanistic studies, including technical advantages, lower cost, and higher appraisal in scientific journals. We will expand on these considerations in our presentation.

A rhetorical move-step analysis of graphical abstracts in experimental research articles

Graphical abstracts (GAs) have recently emerged as an add-on genre of experimental research articles (ERAs) in STEM fields. This study used Swales’ (1990, 2004) framework to analyze GAs’ move and step structures and investigated how they were influenced by ERAs’ take-home messages. Our corpus comprised 110 GAs from 55 high-impact journals across 11 STEM disciplines. Thirty-three specialist informants played a dominant role in identifying ERAs’ take-home messages, GAs’ IMRD moves, and the specific steps realizing those moves. Our findings revealed that GAs’ move and step structures, along with their frequently used moves and steps, are significantly influenced by ERAs’ three distinct types of take-home messages: (1) exploration of new phenomena and/or mechanisms, (2) introduction of new methodologies, and (3) development of new products. GAs tend to fulfill a highlight-to-attract purpose by focusing on ERAs’ main scientific contributions, in contrast to the verbal and video abstracts that fulfill a summarize-to-attract purpose by reproducing ERAs’ full IMRD structure. Our findings enrich the current understanding of GAs’ rhetorical structures and have practical implications for genre-based GA design and pedagogy.

Screening and identification of selenium-enriched purine-lowering Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactococcus lactis with high stress tolerance and antioxidant capacity

Hyperuricemia and selenium (Se) deficiency have become world wide health issues, necessitating the development of new technologies for the prevention of hyperuricemia and daily Se supplementation. This study explored a feasible way by providing new lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with both Se-enrichment and purine-lowering functions. The expected LAB were firstly screened out and identified from fermented tea grown in seleniferous areas by a five-step screening method. Among thirty-six candidate strains exhibiting superior Se-enriched ability, seven of them showed excellent uric acid absorption, in vitro xanthine oxidase and uric acid oxidase activities. In particular, Lactobacillus plantarum L123 and Lactococcus lactis L126 degraded inosine and guanosine to hypoxanthine and guanine with degradation rates of 100%, 96.88% ± 0.33% and 93.61% ± 1.06%, 81.15% ± 1.83%, respectively, and metabolized the substrates of hypoxanthine, xanthine and uric acid into the final product allantoin. Their clearing rates of three free radicals (DPPH, •OH and ABTS+• free radical) were higher than 94% after reaction for 30 min. More than 85% of L123 and 50% of L126 could survive at pH 1.5 for 3 h, while their Se-enriched counterparts showed more enhanced acid tolerance. Both L123 and L126 with or without Se-enrichment tolerated 0.5% bile salt with survival rates above 80%. These Novel LAB provide a promising avenue for the development of new health food and pharmaceutical products that combine Se supplementation with hyperuricemia treatment.

Improvement of Surimi Gel from Frozen-Stored Silver Carp.

Silver Carp (SC) is an under-utilized, invasive species in North American river systems. In this study, the synergistic effects of manufactured Microfiber (MMF), Transglutaminase (TG), and chicken skin collagen (CLG)) to enhance surimi gel quality from frozen SC were studied. The gel strength, textural properties, rheological properties, water-holding capacity (WHC), water mobility, microstructure, and protein composition of the gel samples were determined to assess the impact of the additives individually and synergistically. The results suggested that TG had the most pronounced effect on the surimi gel properties by promoting protein cross-linking. Synergistic effects between TG, MMF, and CLG can bring effective gel property enhancement larger than the individual effect of each additive alone. With the established response-surface models, the combination of CLG and MMF can be optimized to produce surimi gels with less TG but comparable in properties to that of the optimal result with high TG usage. The findings of this study provided a technical foundation for making high-quality surimi gel products out of frozen-stored SC with synergistic utilization of additives, which could serve as guidelines for the industrial development of new surimi products.

Development and in vitro evaluation of an infant friendly self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) loaded with an amphotericin B-monoacyl phosphatidylcholine complex for oral delivery

Until relatively recently, the pediatric population has largely been ignored during the development of new drug products, which has led to a high level of “off-label” use of drugs in this particular population. In this study, an infant friendly self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) was developed for oral delivery of a commonly used “off-label” drug – amphotericin B (AmB). AmB was complexed with monoacyl-phosphatidylcholine (MAPC) by lyophilization, transforming crystalline AmB into its amorphous state in the AmB-MAPC complex (APC). The APC-loaded SNEDDS (APC-SNEDDS) showed excellent self-emulsifying properties; after dispersion of the APC-SNEDDS in purified water, nanoscale emulsion droplets were formed within 1 min with a z-average size of 179 ± 1 nm. In vitro pediatric gastrointestinal (GI) digestion and dissolution results showed that the APC-SNEDDS significantly increased the amount of AmB solubilized in aqueous phase and that the precipitated AmB from the APC-SNEDDS re-dissolved faster, compared with crystalline AmB in SNEDDS (AmB-SNEDDS), the complex without the SNEDDS (APC), the physical mixture of AmB and MAPC (AmB/MAPC PM), and crystalline AmB alone (AmB). Overall, the present in vitro results suggest that integrating the APC into an infant friendly SNEDDS is a promising approach for oral delivery of AmB to young pediatric patients.

The impact of product portfolio specialty and activeness on firm survival: evidence from the nascent drone industry

We examine the impact of product portfolio strategy on the likelihood of firm survival within the nascent unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or the drone industry. Using novel and representative global data on firms that operate within the domain of air platforms in the drone industry, our study captures a period of ferment in the industry as it went through significant change and began to acquire some level of stability. The results show that both portfolio specialty and activeness have a positive impact on firm survival. Specialist firms with narrow product usage or higher portfolio specialty are in an advantageous position compared to generalists with wide product usage or low portfolio specialty. They also have a higher likelihood of survival, overall. Similarly, a firm with a more active set of drones within its product portfolio also survives better. The results are consistent even after accounting for firm‐level controls and are robust to other model specifications. Our findings have important implications for firm strategy, positioning, and interaction with technology in nascent industries, especially relating to the development and deployment of new technologies and products.

Modeling Technical Risk Propagation Using Field-Effects in Automotive Technology Infusion Design Studies

Abstract The infusion of new technology into existing product architectures introduces significant challenges, particularly in managing the risks associated with higher-order effects on system functionality and reliability. Within current industrial practices, the development of such integration support is challenging as it requires integrating data related to component and system testing activities, and product architecture design. There is a need to make decisions based on incomplete data due to the difficulty of evaluating all potential configurations, as well as to proactively identify areas of the product architecture that could be problematic in the future. This study aims to support the development of new products at a prominent international automotive company, by examining the field effects generated and influenced by their components and the impact of infusing new technology on the system architecture. We propose integrating and linking these concerns about field effects and architectural impact within a DSM-based method. The method has been implemented in a case study based on the introduction of a steer-by-wire system. The method is proven effective for finding relevant configurations for integrating new technology into products under development. Thus, a robust framework is proposed for harmonizing the evolution of products with the evolution of technology, fostering innovation within product platform design.

Targeted prediction of sensory preference for fermented pomegranate juice based on machine learning

The fermented pomegranate juice (FPJs) has become a promising alternative to satisfy the growing demands for pomegranate products, however the development of new products depending on sensory evaluation is time-consuming and labor-intensive. In this study, 90 FPJs were prepared to predict the key physiochemical features that affecting sensory preferences by machine learning (ML). The GradientBoosting algorithm performed the best among 9 ML prediction models with good robustness and predictive ability on the validation set, meanwhile weighted preferences score (WPS) model predicted sensory preference more accurately as compared to comprehensive preferences score (CPS) model. Based on SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis, TSS, CD and LAB were the top 3 key features affecting preferences scores in both CPS and WPS models, but ranked differently. ML and its interpretability provided a new method and theoretical basis for development of consumer-preferred products and improvement of food sensory quality in food industry.