Opportunities For Product Innovation Research Articles

Contextualised co-creation: innovating with individual external contributors throughout the product life cycle

A co-creation strategy for product innovation ought to be customised for the specific context in which it is to be implemented. Despite the obvious common-sense appeal of this idea, the context-dependent character of co-creation has not yet been clearly recognised and analysed in the pertinent literature. We address this intellectual gap by positing the concept of 'contextualised co-creation'. By focusing on the evolving opportunities for product innovation, and related extant conditions and potential risks, we see the early and the latter stages of the product life cycle as distinct contexts for co-creation. For each respective context our concept suggests what type of actors may be involved as co-creators in product innovation projects, which type of co-creation may be appropriate, and how a suitable co-creative setting may be developed. Our contextualised co-creation concept may be applied by companies as a rubric for strategic decision-making related to collaborative innovation with individual external contributors in product development projects.

Personal pensions with risk sharing

AbstractTo improve the design of the pay-out phase of DC plans, this paper proposes a new approach to structure pension products: the Personal Pension with Risk sharing (PPR). By unbundling and valuing the investment, (dis)saving, insurance and risk-sharing functions of pensions, PPRs allow risk management and (dis)saving to be customized to the specific features of heterogeneous individuals. Unlike variable annuities, PPRs allow investment risks to be combined with longevity insurance without giving rise to high year-on-year volatility in consumption streams or opaque and rigid valuation and smoothing rules. The synthesis of a PPR structure provides new opportunities for product innovation and for the comparison of retirement products.

Opportunities for product innovation using authorised European Union health claims

SummaryFor authorisation of a health claim in Europe, applicants must follow the procedures in the legislation and in the guidelines for submission of a dossier, as well as the guidance in the European Food Safety Authority's opinions on the scientific requirements for health claims. In addition to the authorised functional benefits of the vitamins and minerals, certain foods and food constituents offer beneficial physiological effects that extend beyond traditionally accepted nutritional effects. The elucidation of these effects is becoming more important, as reflected by the increasing amount of nutrition research and number of product innovations. Provided that they are scientifically substantiated, health claims linked to food and food supplement products can help consumers make well‐informed food choices. The present review focuses on scientific substantiation and consumer understanding of health claims, and it aims to help those involved in academic research, food product development and consumer education about food and health.

Integración del diseño en las empresas portuguesas, del sector de la transformación de la Piedra Natural: definición de un perfil

Portuguese natural stone processing companies are suffering a decline in emerging markets. Design, as an integral component of innovation and strategic business management, plays a vital role in a company's growth, internationalization and competitiveness. By conducting an Internet survey with companies that participated in the Pedra trade fair in Batalha, Portugal, the value these firms place on design was analyzed. The profile of companies that differentiate themselves based on design was also identified. Results indicate that none of the companies surveyed have an R&D department, not even those that differentiate themselves based on design. Nor did these companies value the majority of benefits that design offers. They do, however, expressly value the qualities of the material they work with (its durability, texture and unique character) and use these to differentiate themselves in the market. It can be concluded that there is experience, deep technical knowledge and a culture related to the product in this sector, but there is no model to encourage the integration of design management into values of innovation, differentiation and competitiveness. As a result, opportunities for product innovation with natural stone are continually missed.

A feature-based approach towards an integrated product model in intelligent design

Conceptual design is an early stage in the product design process, which has an essential effect on the product innovation. Existing approaches for product knowledge engineering for conceptual design always focus on knowledge modelling and organization, etc. However, the traditional approach is lack of better comprehending representation and reuse of design knowledge in conceptual design. This paper is devoted to presenting a systematic effective integrated modelling approach of principle solutions in conceptual design to make the knowledge of functional design be transferred efficiently to the subsequent principle conceptual design and structure conceptual design process, and even detail design. With the introduction of the physical quantity model, feature-based representation model of function, effect, physical quantity, working principle and structure concept are put forward step by step, and then an integrated principle solution model is presented based on the generalized assembly model. The knowledge organization method of principle solutions based on physical quantities is also proposed. Conceptual design process based on integrated modelling and knowledge organization of principle solutions is presented, which discloses that physical quantity model is a bridge across functional design, principle conceptual design and structure conceptual design. The conceptual design of new devices for decreasing resistance of petroleum equipment offshore platform is given as an example, which demonstrates that the methodology is obviously helpful to increase opportunities for product innovation in conceptual design.

Functional Space Expansion Process for Product Innovation

A generic function and an effect feature model are proposed in the research of conceptual design based on the mapping process of function-effect-solution. A derivative function and physical parameters are then introduced, which disclose that the derivative function is a bridge in the functional space expansion. To realize the one-to-more mapping process of product function, functional field expanses layer by layer. The strategy expansion of functional space based on the variation of original aim function, the strategy of expansion from derivative functions to effects, and the strategy of functional space expansion based on physical quantities reasoning from effects are put forward respectively. The process of functional space expansion with three phases is then discussed in detail, which includes four layers: original function layer, derivative function layer, effect layer and physical parameter layer. The process of functional space expansion is treated as a three-step process, first transforming original function to derivative functions, and then mapping these derivative functions into effects, and at last expansion from these effects to physical quantities space. A computer aided functional design software platform is then developed. The functional design of new devices for decreasing resistance of amphibious vehicles is given as an example, which demonstrates that the methodology is obviously helpful to realizing the methodology expansion and system innovation of product functions and concepts, thus increasing opportunities for product innovation in conceptual design.

Re‐conceptualising learning spaces: developing capabilities in a high‐tech small firm

Examines the process of managerial learning in a relatively remote rural small‐sized firm. Relational competences and organisational innovation are key to the capture, employment and creation of knowledge and learning within the firm. The case study organisation has created a virtual cluster of innovation, through their supply network, that reaches well beyond the traditional regional institutional support mechanisms. Through this network of relationships, they have enhanced their own learning, facilitated the learning of supplier firms and integrated knowledge to create opportunities for product innovation and development. The paper concludes that these learning experiences indicate policy implications for the support of learning in small firms. To overcome failings in traditional support systems, policy should be directed at the development and maintenance of learning networks. This informal and organisational specific approach to learning and development overcomes some of the barriers to managerial learning in SMEs, and is a method that will address the specific business needs of small firms.