To achieve success in today's competitive environment, companies are realising the importance of design collaboration during new product development. The aim of this research was to develop a collaborative design tool for use by industrial designers and engineering designers. To achieve this, a literature review was undertaken to understand the working relationship among the two disciplines during new product development. Following this, empirical research through interviews and observations outlined three problem areas: conflicts in values and principles; differences in education; and differences in representational tools and methods. The latter was chosen because the problem area of design representations was found to be highly significant. In looking at bridging differences in design representations, a taxonomy comprising 35 forms of sketches, drawings, models and prototypes was generated. A second stage of empirical research was conducted to establish the popularity of each representation and the type of design / technical information that industrial designers and engineering designers communicated with. The information was indexed into CoLab cards that would enable the two disciplines to gain joint understanding and create shared knowledge when using visual design representations. Following a pilot evaluation and minor modifications, student and practitioner interviews with a case study were employed to assess the significance of CoLab. The findings revealed that 82% of the interviewees felt CoLab to have built a common ground through the use of visual design representations. 75% gave a positive rating when asked if the system would enhance collaboration and 91% gave the physical cards a positive response as it provided instant access to information and allowed easy sharing. This thesis is a step towards a greater understanding of collaboration between industrial designers and engineering designers. The use of the CoLab system provides the prospect of achieving a common ground between the two disciplines.

Focusing on the needs of users, design can leverage new product development process by offering insightful knowledge of those needs. This research investigates the technology development of smart homes. Design is utilised as a product research tool to identify key insights of the home life of the older adults living in the UK, and for the purpose of informing the front-end of the new product development process. The review of the literature in the field of smart homes suggests that the developments have lagged by a technology-push approach, the lack of appropriate concepts from users’ perspectives as well as the lack of development strategy, which has consequently been reflected in consumers’ reluctance towards smart homes. As a result, this doctoral research aimed to ‘develop a user-oriented product design research tool that improves the understanding of the home life of older adults.’ To achieve the aim, this research employs qualitative methodology to develop a research process that utilises the cultural probe, semi-structured interview and video tour. Informed by ethnographic tradition, this research establishes its trustworthiness and credibility by employing a thorough process of analysis (qualitative analysis with computer-assisted software NVivo 8 and peers debriefing) and evaluation (creative workshop and evaluative interview) with practitioners from the field of product design, design management and design education. The result of the field investigation is presented as ten personas and taxonomy of nodes, which form the contribution of this research, a sensitising tool and process. This research contributes a sensitising tool - a design-led, user-inspired and participatory product design research that the offers insightful knowledge of those older adults and their relationships with their homes living in the UK. This sensitising tool is developed for the smart home designers for the purpose of generating new product ideas and challenges designers’ preconception of users and smart homes, and provokes reflections on the practices of user-centred and user-participatory design, as examined in the creative workshop. In addition, this research also contributes to the growing debate surrounding the issues relating to ethnographic user research and the use of cultural probe for the design of new smart homes.

Social media such as Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and online communities plays an important role for knowledge production and diffusion as well as discussions among people. Among social media, online brand communities (OBCs) have recently received attention from both academics and practitioners due to the practical benefits of OBCs for consumers and companies. For consumers, knowledge sharing and its collective activities help them to make purchase decisions and to protect themselves against firms’ monopoly and oligopoly or collusion and anticompetitive actions. For companies, new ideas and feedback on brand products created by OBC members are useful input to develop new products and enhance existing product lines. Therefore, active content generation by community members is one of the critical success factors of OBCs. However, many scholars argue that only a few members who are more devoted to a community are tending to engage in OBC activities and many community members tend to remain in the periphery (sometimes called ‘lurkers') of the community by using OBCs merely for gathering information without any contributions. Therefore, it is important to make members in the periphery of the community transit to the core to increase members’ intentions and ‘devoted members’ to produce more valuable benefits for both consumers and firms. In spite of its importance, the literature is lacking in efforts to explain how and when community members in the periphery transit to the core of the community in a long-term perspective. This study aims to reveal how and why OBC members transit from the periphery to the core of the community and how to increase their intention to use OBC from a long-term perspective. OBC use behaviour is classified into, largely, two categories according to the purposes of an OBC: behaviour with a brand product consumption purpose; and behaviour with a social relationship building purpose. This study classifies OBC members as three clusters by social identity theory: tourists, minglers, and devoted members (devotees and insiders). The devoted members have valuable consumption knowledge of brand and strong social bonds in the OBC and the OBC members become a devoted member by accumulated brand knowledge and experiences through long-term OBC use. Therefore, from a socialisation aspect, this study adopts organisational socialisation theory as the theoretical lens to explain how and why the members evolve from novice members as tourist to devoted members in OBC contexts. Socialisation theories argue that there are usually three sequential stages for a member to gain full membership in a community: pre-entry, accommodation, and affiliation. In addition, this study adopts IS implementation theory to understand OBC user behaviours from an IS use behaviour perspective: acceptance in the pre-entry stage and routinisation in the accommodation stage and infusion in the affiliation stage. By reviewing socialisation theory and IS implementation theory, this study finds four significant motivations, those of information quality, trust, sense of belonging, and brand loyalty for intention of OBC use from the acceptance (pre-entry) to infusion (affiliation) stages. To integrate the socialisation perspective with the IS use perspective, this study adopts a technology acceptance model (TAM) as a theoretical framework to link to motivators in different OBC use behaviour from the acceptance to infusion stages. As a result, this study proposes a conceptual framework to explain the OBC members’ transition process from acceptance (pre-entry) to infusion (affiliation). The aim of this study is to predict and explain the transition of motivators for OBC use from pre-entry to affiliation and how to improve members’ intention of OBC use from a long-term perspective ultimately to foster ‘devoted members’. This study adopts an online survey targeting 518 participants who belong to 17 OBCs in South Korea and the conceptual framework is validated. The results show that all factors (i.e. information quality, trust, sense of belonging, brand loyalty) are significant determinants to increase intention to use OBCs and the factors have a causal relationship with each other to form a transition process from the acceptance (pre-entry) to infusion (affiliation) stages. This study also reveals that brand loyalty has a significant role to explain the transition process and directly influence user intention to use OBCs. The sense of belonging also directly affects members’ intention to use OBCs but has less impact than brand loyalty. In addition, the results indicate that TAM is an appropriate model to predict user behaviours in a long-term perspective to explain the change of OBC use behaviour from the acceptance to infusion stage and confirms that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use have significant impact on the intention to use OBCs as in other IS studies. Understanding the transition process within OBCs has theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, it will extend our understanding of how IS end users transit from acceptance behaviour to continued use and extended use of information systems in virtual community contexts. For managers, this study will provide them with insight on how to retain potential consumers in OBCs and facilitate their activities to gain consumer feedback on existing and new products.

Background: The reason for conducting this master thesis within the field of knowledge management derived from the realization that there was a need for an increased understanding of the socio-cultural dynamics of the integration and transfer of knowledge in cross-functional new product development projects. Research advocates that organizations with organic project-based environments with fluid team boundaries may aggravate routine-based work and organizational memory, which in turn may lead to an organizations’ inability of capturing and storing existing personalized knowledge for internal storage and future transfer (Koskinen, 2004). For this reason, the conversion of knowledge for re-use between and within projects in an organization is not supported in a natural way (Lindner and Wald, 2011). To this end, organizational culture is critically important in facilitating a knowledge transfer culture within an organization that supports such knowledge conversion processes (Davenport and Prusak, 1998a). Thus, an increased understanding of the socio-cultural dynamics of knowledge integration and transfer in cross-functional projects is viewed as an opportunity to contribute with findings with interest in both industry and academia. Increasing the understanding of organizational culture’s role in knowledge conversion facilitation is particularly seen as an important research area in existing knowledge management research. The study aimed to produce a deeper understanding of these social processes by exploring and interpreting them in their real-life social contexts. Research question: How does organizational culture and knowledge management strategies support as well as hinder knowledge integration and transfer between cross-functional product development teams and specialists in a project-based organization? Purpose: To increase the understanding of the socio-cultural dynamics of knowledge integration and transfer in cross-functional projects. In order to study the socio-cultural elements, a case study in a global Swedish company engaged in new product development was conducted during the spring of 2016. Method: The research design of the study was case study. The empirical data was collected through face-to-face interviews, observations and studying of internal steering documentations. The author found it necessary to adopt an interpretivist epistemological position with a qualitative focus in alignment with employing abductive reasoning in order to understand the collected data and to explore the posed research question. Quality measures with respect to qualitative research studies were cautiously considered. Conclusion: This study found that an organization with a network-based knowledge culture and a standardized process with standards and routines for effective knowledge conversion processes are two sides of the same coin that can support the knowledge integration and transfer between cross-functional product development teams and specialists in a project-based organization. Further, both a single dominant organizational culture and multiple local cultures within an organization can both support and hinder the integration and transfer of knowledge. In extension to this finding, inconsistencies in the knowledge integration and transfer processes may evolve across these different cultural interpretations which may further support or hinder the social dynamics in an organization. Moreover, my study suggests that a network-based knowledge culture can interact with a standardized process in order to enable effective knowledge integration and transfer routines.

A realização de diagnóstico de processo auxilia a compreensão dos fatores internos e externos que influenciam o Processo de Desenvolvimento de Produtos (PDP) e de suas características, como capacidade técnica da equipe, forma como as atividades são organizadas, recursos disponíveis, exigências dos clientes ou poder de barganha com os fornecedores. No entanto nas últimas décadas não foi vista uma atenção especial aos métodos e ferramentas de diagnósticos voltados ao PDP. Analisando diagnósticos reais do PDP de empresas que utilizaram o método da árvore da realidade atual foi levantada a possibilidade de existir um conjunto significativo de problemas comum a todos os diagnósticos do PDP que poderiam servir de referência para diagnósticos futuros. O objetivo, portanto, desse trabalho é propor um método de diagnóstico que utiliza problemas recorrentes para aumentar a eficiência e eficácia do diagnóstico do PDP e apoiar a identificação de oportunidades de melhoria. O método proposto, denominado de Diagile, aprimorou o método de construção de árvore da realidade atual e é composto de melhores práticas de gestão de projetos e identificação e priorização de oportunidades de melhoria. Para apoiar a execução do método foi desenvolvida uma ferramenta de automação de diagnóstico (FAD) e uma planilha eletrônica para priorizar projetos de melhoria. As principais entregas da aplicação do Diagile são uma árvore da realidade atual e um portfólio de projetos de melhoria customizado por empresa. Para avaliar o método proposto foram executados um experimento controlado e dois estudos de casos. De acordo com os resultados do experimento, primeiramente, foi confirmado que a utilização do Diagile aumentou a eficiência da realização de diagnóstico comparado com a realização de um diagnóstico aplicando o método tradicional da árvore da realidade atual. Após as realizações dos estudos de caso, que serviram para avaliar o método, foi visto que as empresas ficaram satisfeitas com os resultados obtidos com o diagnóstico, relatando a boa qualidade das árvores e a pertinência dos projetos de melhoria sugeridos. Conclui-se que o objetivo desse trabalho foi atingido, demonstrando o aumento da eficiência e eficácia do diagnóstico utilizando o método proposto. / The execution of process diagnostic assists the comprehension of internal and external factors that influence the product developing process (NPD) and its characteristics such as team technical capacity, way that the activity are organized, available resources, client requirements or suppliers negotiation power. In the last decades, any special attention it was given to the diagnostic methods and tools focused to NPD process. The analysis of real NPD diagnosis cases from enterprises that used the reality tree method suggested the possibility that it may found a significant group of problems that are common to all NPD diagnostic that can be used as reference for future diagnosis. The objective of this work is to propose a diagnostic method based on the use of recurrent problems to increase the efficiency and efficacy of the NPD diagnosis and assist the identification of improvements opportunities. The proposed method, called Diagile, is based on the construction of the current reality tree and is composed of project management best practices prioritizing improvements opportunities. To support the application of the proposed method a computational diagnostic tool and an electronic spread sheet has been developed to prioritize project improvements. The main deliverables of the application of Diagile are a current reality tree and a customized portfolio of improvements project of the company. To evaluate the proposed method a controlled experiment and two cases studies was performed. According to the experiment results, it was first possible to confirm that the use of Diagile increased the efficiency of the diagnostic execution when compared with the performance of the diagnosis using the traditional current reality tree method. After the execution of the two case studies, that was used to evaluate the proposed method, if has been confirmed that the companies where satisfied with the obtained diagnostic results, reporting the good quality of the tree and the importance of the suggested improvement projects. With this it has been concluded that the objective of this work was complete, and that the proposed method and tools increase the efficiency and efficacy of the NPD diagnosis.

A experimentação e testes com o uso de protótipos físicos ou simulação em computadores é uma prática utilizada para o desenvolvimento de diversos produtos industriais. As indústrias aeronáutica, automobilística, mecânica, naval, petrolífera e microeletrônica, entre outras, há muito empregam uma ou ambas as técnicas citadas. No entanto, inexistem referências ou estudos sobre a aplicação prática e conceitual desse assunto dentro do ambiente bancário mundial. O propósito desta pesquisa é descrever e interpretar os modos de experimentação empregados atualmente para a formação de fundos de investimento no mercado financeiro brasileiro e propor novos procedimentos para o seu desenvolvimento em analogia ao processo industrial. A metodologia proposta foi demonstrada com a utilização de dados reais levantados durante quatro anos no mercado financeiro para o desenvolvimento de um fundo aberto referenciado DI fictício simulados com o auxílio de técnicas de Dinâmica de Sistemas e de Inteligência Artificial. Os resultados reforçam as possibilidades de analogia entre o desenvolvimento de produtos industriais tangíveis e serviços intangíveis, quebrando paradigmas e propondo novos conceitos sob uma ótica renovadora para o desenvolvimento de produtos financeiros. O problema de otimização apresentado representa um novo campo de aplicação para o uso integrado de Dinâmica de Sistemas com algoritmos inteligentes, sendo que os algoritmos genéticos provaram ser uma ferramenta de suporte à decisão adequada para um ambiente competitivo e globalizado. / Experimentation and tests using physical prototypes or computer simulation are practices used in the development of various industrial products. The aeronautical, automobile, mechanical, naval, petroleum and micro-electronics industries have been using one or both of the mentioned techniques for a very long time. However, this issue has not been studied in detail in the banking area. The aim of this research is to describe and interpret the experimentation modes currently used in the Brazilian financial market in order to propose new procedures to develop investment funds akin to the industrial process. The proposed methodology was tested using 4 years of real data of the Brazilian financial market in order to develop a fictional investment fund based on Dynamic Systems and Artificial Intelligence (genetic algorithms) simulation principles. The results strengthen the possible analogy between the development of tangible industrial products and intangible services and propose new concepts according to an innovative development methodology for financial products. The related optimization problem represents a new field of application for Dynamic Systems combined with intelligent algorithms and, particularly, the Genetic Algorithms (GA) based model provided an efficient decision-making tool to be used in a competitive and globalized environment.

No description available.

O processo de desenvolvimento de novos produtos (DNP) se torna cada vez mais uma questão de colaboração entre a equipe interna de desenvolvimento da empresa central e os fornecedores externos co-localizados ou distantes geograficamente. Cada vez mais, empresas tendem a terceirizar parte ou todo o desenvolvimento de produtos, devido ao fato de que o fornecedor é uma fonte de novas tecnologias e conhecimentos, além de ajudar a reduzir custos e riscos do projeto. Neste sentido, as tecnologias de informação e comunicações (TIC) constituem ferramentas de suporte para gerenciar as diferentes formas de colaboração com os fornecedores (colaborações do tipo white, grey e black box). Na literatura, as TIC têm sido reconhecidas como um fator importante para o sucesso do processo de DNP, mas são poucos os estudos focados em estudar a relação entre o uso das TIC e a colaboração com fornecedores. Além disso, a grande maioria destas pesquisas são pouco aprofundadas, apresentando poucas ferramentas e com aplicações limitadas no DNP. Assim o objetivo desde trabalho é analisar como podem ser usadas as TIC no DNP colaborativo dependendo dos três tipos de projetos de colaboração: white, grey e black box. O trabalho tem uma abordagem de métodos mistos, cominando etapas qualitativas e quantitativas. Em termos qualitativos, são explorados aspectos da literatura e estudos de casos em uma empresa multinacional. Enquanto em termos quantitativos, o trabalho apresenta uma pesquisa survey com 105 empresas que operam no Brasil. Como principais resultados obtiveram-se: (i) a identificação das TIC usadas no processo de desenvolvimento de produtos em um contexto inter-empresarial, (ii) a verificação do impacto do uso das TIC na performance do processo de desenvolvimento de produtos quando são aplicadas práticas colaborativas (iii) a proposição e verificação de um framework para o uso das TIC nos diferentes tipos de projetos colaborativos. Do ponto de vista acadêmico, esta dissertação permite compreender melhor o impacto e o uso das TIC para cada um dos tipos de projetos colaborativos. Do ponto de vista prático, este estudo apresenta uma solução para empresas que buscam competitividade e uma abertura no processo de DNP, através do uso das TIC como suporte para o mesmo. / The new product development (NPD) process increasingly becomes a matter of collaboration between the company’s internal product development team and its external suppliers, which can be co-located or geographically dispersed. Increasingly, companies tend to partially or fully outsource their development process, since suppliers are a source of new technologies and knowledge, and they can also help to reduce costs and risks of the development. The Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) comprise tools that can support the management of three different collaborative product development projects with suppliers: white, grey and black box. In the literature, ICT are acknowledged to be an important factor for the success of the NPD process. Nevertheless, few studies have focused on studying the relationship between the use of ICT and the collaboration with suppliers, and the majority of studies have not treated the issue in depth, presenting only a few tools with limited application to the NPD. Thus, the objective of this research is to analyze how ICTs can be used in the collaborative NPD context depending on the three types of collaborative projects. This research uses a mix methods approach by combining qualitative and quantitative methodological stages. Qualitatively, the literature aspects and the cases studies of a multinational company is explored. Quantitatively, this research presents a survey with 105 companies that operate in Brazil. As the main results, we present: (i) the identification of the ICT used in the product development process in an inter-organizational context, (ii) the verification of the impact of ICT use in the product development process performance when collaborative practices are applied, (iii) the proposition and the verification of a framework for the use of ICT in the different types of collaborative projects. From the academic point of view, this research enables a better understanding of the impact and the use of ICT for each type of collaborative project with suppliers. From the managerial point of view, this study presents solutions for companies that seek competitiveness and openness of the NPD process through the use of ICT.

La littérature de l’IDE à la recherche d’actifs ignore le rôle des utilisateurs à l’avantgardedu marché («lead users»). La thèse, à travers deux modèles de théorie des jeux,montre l’impact des «lead users» sur l’arbitrage entre l’IDE et l’exportation. Touteschoses égales par ailleurs, selon le 1er modèle, l’IDE est plus profitable dans uneinnovation poussée par l’offre, pour apprendre sur les besoins avancés des «lead users»,mais plus élevé est le risque de spécification erronée du produit par rapport aux besoinslocaux. La probabilité de spécification erronée augmente avec la radicalité de latechnologie et la différence entre l’environnement d’usage des deux pays. Selon le 2èmemodèle, le «lead user» révélant son innovation attire l’IDE en augmentant laconnaissance tacite incorporée dans l’innovation. Pour pousser l’investisseur àdévelopper l’innovation, le «lead user» maximise la généralité de l’innovation et sacomposante tacite. Si la multinationale a un niveau élevé d’actifs spécifiques, unarrangement l’avantagera par rapport à ses concurrents potentiels. Pour un équilibre dePareto, l’investisseur maximise l’amélioration qu’il apporte à l’innovation et privilégiele «lead user» par rapport aux autres utilisateurs. En Egypte, des obstacles interviennententre la volonté d’adopter la technologie de l’information et de la communication (TIC)et son adoption effective. Des filiales intégrées dans les réseaux d’innovation locauxcontribuent à la réduction de la fracture numérique liée à l’usage. Les entretiens avec lesresponsables du gouvernement électronique montrent que le gouvernement voulantdiffuser les TICs peut devenir un «lead user» innovateur. / Literature on asset seeking foreign direct investment (FDI) ignores the role of the hostcountry’s lead users. The thesis through two game theoretic models shows the impact oflead users on FDI decision versus exports. All other things equal, the 1st model proposesthat, FDI is more profitable in a technology push innovation, in order to learn about leadusers’ advanced needs, the higher the risk of product misspecification relative to localneeds. The probability of misspecification increases in the radicalness of the technologyand in the difference in the use environment between the two countries. The 2nd modelstudies the impact of lead users’ innovation. All other things equal, lead users whoreveal their innovation attract FDI, the higher the tacit knowledge incorporated in theirinnovation. To push the foreign investor to develop their innovation, lead users shallmaximize its generality and its tacit component. If the multinational has high firmspecificassets, then an arrangement to privilege the foreign investor relative to hispotential competitors would arise. To have a Pareto optimum equilibrium, the foreigninvestor shall maximize the improvements he brings to lead users’ innovation and shallprivilege lead users relative to other users. The thesis observes Egyptian informationand communication technology sector (ICT). There are obstacles interfering betweenthe adoption decision and actual adoption. Integrated subsidiaries within localinnovation networks can play a role in reducing the digital divide related to usage.Interviews with electronic government’s executives show that the government in orderto diffuse ICT may become an innovator lead user.

O presente estudo consistiu na formulação, no processamento em escala piloto, na avaliação da esterilidade comercial (EC) e no estudo da vida útil de um suplemento hidroeletrolítico (isotônico) elaborado com soro de ricota. O soro de ricota deslactosado foi pasteurizado a 75 ºC/15 s, acondicionado assepticamente em garrafas plásticas e estocado a 0 ºC para ser utilizado no desenvolvimento da formulação do isotônico. O desenvolvimento da formulação contendo soro de ricota, água deionizada, corante, aroma, sacarose e cloreto de sódio foi norteado pela aplicação de testes sensoriais de Ordenação-Preferência, de Escala do Ideal e testes físico-químicos. Utilizando-se um delineamento experimental fatorial, investigou-se o binômio tempo de retenção (30 a 50 s) x temperatura de pasteurização (85 a 95 ºC) adequado à obtenção de uma bebida comercialmente esterilizada com elevada aceitação sensorial. A estabilização da bebida foi baseada na seguinte combinação de métodos térmicos e não térmicos: acidificação, pasteurização e envase asséptico. Testes físico-químicos, sensoriais e microbiológicos, incluindo o teste de EC, foram realizados na bebida recém-processada (tempo zero do estudo da vida útil (VU)). Um terço, aproximadamente, de cada lote processado foi estocado a -18 ºC (amostras controle) e dois terços estocados a 25 ºC (amostras codificadas), na ausência de luz. A estimativa da VU da bebida foi fundamentada em testes microbiológicos e sensoriais. A avaliação da estabilidade microbiológica baseou-se na enumeração de bactérias aeróbias mesófilas e a estabilidade sensorial em testes de Escala Hedônica de nove pontos para avaliação da impressão global do produto. A formulação isotônica desenvolvida atendeu aos requisitos estabelecidos pela Legislação Alimentar Brasileira, com pH 3,15, teor de sólidos solúveis de 6,4 ºBrix, osmolalidade de 306 mOsm/kg água e níveis de sódio e de potássio equivalentes a 500 e 650 mg/L, respectivamente. A bebida recém-processada apresentou contagens de bactérias mesófilas aeróbias inferiores a 10¹ UFC/mL e as médias das notas obtidas nos testes de Escala Hedônica de nove pontos alcançaram 6 (gostei ligeiramente) para o aroma e para o sabor, e situaram-se entre 6 (gostei ligeiramente) e 7 (gostei moderadamente) para a aparência. A análise estatística dos resultados revelou que somente o tempo de retenção aplicado no tratamento térmico produziu efeito significativo (p < 0,05) no sabor da bebida recém-processada, não apresentando efeitos significativos para aroma, aparência, parâmetros de cor (L*, a* e b*), pH, acidez titulável e teor de sólidos solúveis. Somente os processamentos 3 (95 ºC/50 s), 4 (90 ºC/40 s) e 5 (85 ºC/30 s) alcançaram a EC e tiveram seus tempos de VU limitados pela depreciação sensorial, estimados em 100, 128 e 153 dias, respectivamente. Os tempos de VU estimados para os lotes dos processamentos 2 (95 ºC/30 s), 6 (85 ºC/50 s) e 7 (90 ºC/40 s) foram equivalentes a 70, 42 e 42 dias, respectivamente, tendo sido limitado pelo desenvolvimento de micro-organismos, resultando em alterações na aparência da bebida e no estufamento de algumas embalagens. O lote 1 (90 ºC/40 s) teve sua vida útil estimada em 128 dias devido a falta de amostras. O soro de ricota revelou-se uma alternativa tecnologicamente viável para elaboração de um suplemento hidroeletrolítico permitindo o aproveitamento e a agregação de valor ao referido subproduto. A combinação dos métodos empregados na estabilização da bebida foi eficiente para a redução da carga microbiana inicial e para a obtenção de uma bebida com boa aceitação sensorial. / This study focused the formulation, small scale processing, commercial sterility (CS) evaluation and shelf life (SL) study of a ricotta cheese whey (RCW) based sports drink (isotonic). The RCW was pre-treated with lactase, pasteurized at 75 ºC/15 s, aseptically filled into plastic bottles and stored at 0 ºC. Then it was used to develop the isotonic formulation (RCW, deionized water, coloring, flavor, sucrose and sodium chloride) by applying Rank Preference, Just Right Scale and physicochemical tests. A factorial experiment was designed to investigate the binomial holding time (30 to 50 s) and pasteurization temperature (85 to 95 ºC) appropriate for attaining a commercially sterilized drink with a high sensory acceptance. The drink stabilization was based on the combination of thermal and non-thermal methods: acidification, pasteurization and aseptic filling. Physicochemical, sensory and microbiological tests were performed in the freshly processed drink. Approximately one third of each processed batch was stored at -18 º C (control samples) and two thirds stored at 25 ºC (coded samples), in the dark. The estimate of the isotonic shelf life relied on the microbiological and sensory tests. The microbiological stability evaluation was based on the total mesophilic aerobic counts. The sensory stability study relied on a nine-point Hedonic Scale tests. The developed formulation met the Brazilian Food Legislation and obtained acceptance average scores of 6.3, pH 3.15, soluble solids of 6.4 ºBrix, osmolality of 306 mOsm/kg água, 500 mg/L of sodium and 650 mg/L of potassium. The freshly processed product presented mesophilic aerobic bacteria counts below 10¹ CFU/mL. The average of the ratings obtained for aroma and flavor in the nine-point Hedonic Scale tests reached 6 (liked slightly); it ranged from 6 (liked slightly) to 7 (liked moderately) for appearance. The statistical analysis showed that only the holding time applied to the heat treatment had significant effect (p < 0.05) in the flavor of the drink. Neither the holding time nor the pasteurization temperature affected other sensory attributes and physicochemical parameters. Only batches 3 (95 ºC/50 s), 4 (90 ºC/40s) and 5 (85 ºC /30 s) reached the commercial sterility; their shelf lives were limited by sensory depreciation and estimated at 100, 128 and 153 days, respectively. The shelf lives for batches 2 (95 ºC/30 s), 6 (85 ºC/50 s) and 7 (90 ºC/40 s) were 70, 42 and 42 days, respectively; they were limited by the microbial growth. The findings indicate that RCW could be a technologically feasible alternative to produce a sports drink. The combination of methods employed in this study was effective in reducing the initial microbial load and obtained a drink with good acceptance.