打造一個好的產品是所有早期新創公司的核心，然而如何將產品從構想到販售並取顧客喜愛，則是一個需要理論與實務結合、不斷實驗的過程。在本論文中，作者將過去三年實際帶領產品-Voltset從出生到成長的經驗紀錄下來並與理論相呼應，探討一個新產品如何透過不斷循環的迭代過程 (iteration process)增加其新產品完整度 (product readiness) 。這三年當中，作者歸納了 Voltset從初期抽象構想的形成，獲得第一位付費的客戶，到後期在全球最大的群眾募資平台上進行全球市場驗證的過程。本論文主要會針對兩大部分做深度討論: 第一部分著重於探討如何在各種實際市場驗證測試中增加產品就緒度，並點出在目前現有理論框架，如: 精實創業 (the Lean startup) 下可能與實際執行面不同之處。根據本產品的經驗，新產品第一次的迭代過程循環應該經由以下幾個步驟：產品目標市場願景、產品本身定義、最小可行性產品構築、意見領袖背書、市場驗證、市場測試與學習。第二部分則是討論當在定義一個新產品的功能與特徵時，如何正確地選擇性聽取以及以什麼方式來聽取目標客戶的需求。根據打造 Voltset產品的經驗，作者發現當潛在客戶聲音太廣泛時，應只聽取”已付費”客戶的意見，因為該族群的產生是藉由深入了解產品價值，並經歷認同與付費過程而形成，因此會在產品的功能與特徵上的需求較聚焦。 本論文藉由親身實務經驗與理論的對話提供深度的產品迭代過程探討，作者期許這樣的研究能對於縮小理論與實務的鴻溝做出貢獻。 / Product building is a core activity for any early-stage startup. However, there are still many gaps between literature to real world practice for successfully developing a product that is accepted by the market. In this thesis, the building experience of Voltset -- a one of the kind hardware and software integrated multimeter, is studied for its journey of product iteration process to increase product readiness. The cofounder of the startup as well as the author of this thesis, has reflected his firsthand experience with literature such as the Commercializing New Technologies and the Lean Startup to seek steps necessary to move the project from shaping an abstract concept, acquiring the first paying customer, and then campaigning a successful crowd funding project. The thesis focuses on answering two questions: First, what are the steps required to enhance product readiness through validation testing from the first business idea to receiving its first group of paying customers. Based on the experience of Voltset and the Lean startup framework, it suggests the first product iteration process should loop through the following stages: Product market vision, product definition, minimum viable product building, key opinion leader endorsement, validation sell, measure, and learn. Second, when a product specification needs to be pinpointed, who and how to listen to the voice of targeted customers (VOC) is the state-of-art question for early-stage startups. Within the scope of this experience, it indicates to focus only on paying customers since they understand the potential value of the new product and have similar needs compare to the wide range of feature request from the rest of potential buyers. This thesis provides the insights of product iteration from first-hand experience, enriching the knowledge gap between real product building and theoretic framework point of view.

本篇論文主要探討新創科技公司產品創新分工網路之現況與績效，新創科技公司之兩大核心資源為創新與技術。公司成長與獲利通常來自技術商品化之價值，一般而言公司很少可完全依賴內部資源進行獨立創新。創新社群以技術為核心，社群中的組織必須顯著地參與一項新技術的商品化工作，主要辨認指標是垂直互補性資產與資訊流通。產業分工網路是企業內部組織和企業彼此間的結合型態，用以產生附加價值，其價值鏈活動是透過良好的協調以造成差異化或成本降低。資訊科技是改變價值活動的執行方式及價值鏈活動中各種連結的性質，影響競爭範圍並塑造新產品。 本研究以國內研發新產品或技術之新創科技公司為研究對象，以個案方式運用分析模式將企業之內外在因素、SWOT及產業能力作深入分析，並訪談中小企業實證研究分工網路活動，探索新創科技公司產品創新分工網路之現況以及產業系統(研究/製造)供應鏈績效，研究結果發現： 1、台灣產業仍屬於「不完全的概念設計與試製生產分離型」分工網路。新創科技公司之產品普遍缺乏品牌形象，且因資源缺乏，無法以全球市場為行銷對象，在設備上的投資、產品與製造的選擇上沒有自主性，限制台灣人才的創新能力及新創科技公司之成功。 2、新創科技公司在產品創新上提昇產品之附加價值，製程上依賴中小企業的「專業分工」及「彈性互補」，充分利用體系資源，調整出最佳效率。但在成熟市場中，採取追隨者的競爭腳步以及成本領導策略，因此無法將產品附加價值回饋於產業分工體系。 3、台灣中小企業普遍在資訊化方面嚴重落後，無法在新的且分散化的產業分工中，以虛擬、組織模組化的分工原理運作，因此人工成本優勢喪失後，其「彈性」、「快速」的核心競爭能力亦在衰退中。 4、中小企業與新創科技公司因價值鏈之市場顧客面不完整，以供應鏈管理觀點檢討發現：管理方法、產品流程、風險與獲利架構、文化與態度觀念、變革升級等構面皆尚待加強。 / I his thesis is mainly in finding out the reality and performance on the network in division of labor for product innovation of a technology startup company. The two core resources of a technology startup company are innovation and techniques. The growth and earning of such company normally come from the value of technology commercialization. Generally, such company could hardly rely on its internal resources completely for independent innovation. Innovative community centers on techniques and the community organization must involve in the commercialization of a new technique significantly, and the main identifying indicator is the vertical complementary assets and the information flow. Industrial network in division of labor is the connecting pattern of the international organization of a business entity with other business, which is for creating added value. The value chain activities are made through sound coordination to generate differentiation and cost-down.Information technology is for changing the performing manner value activities,as well as the natures of connection among various chain activities. It serves to affect the scope of competition and to form new products. This research targeted at the technology startup companies involved in the research and development of new products or new techniques, and case study approach is employed to analyze the internal and external factors of a company,SWOT and industrial capacity with analytical modes. Face to face interview with medium and small enterprises were conducted to empirically demonstrate the activities of the network in division of labor, and to investigate the reality and industrial system (research / manufacturing) supply chain performance of new innovative network in division of labor. The findings are: 1.Industries in Taiwan are still in the stage of“Incomplete Conceptual Design and Pilot Production Separated Network in Division of Labor”level.Technology startup companies are generally lack of brand image. And, with the lack of resources, they are unable to target at the global market for marketing. There is less autonomy in the investment in equipment and options of products and manufacturing. These have limited the talents in Taiwan in their innovation capability and the success of technology startup companies. 2.The technology startup companies promote the added value of their innovative products, and in manufacturing, they rely on the specialization and flexible complement of medium and small enterprise to adjust to the best efficiency by fully utilize the system resources. However, in a matured market, they adopted the follower approach and cost-lead strategies, that they could not feed back the added value of products to the system in division of labor. 3.Generally the medium and small enterprises are having serious information gap, that they are unable to employ the diversification principle in the new and spread-over industrial diversification with virtual, organization modular.Therefore, after losing the labor cost advantage, the core competitiveness in flexibility and speed are also in their way down. 4.Medium and small enterprise, and the technology startup companies have the short of incomplete customer dimension in their value chain, it is found,in the view point of supply chain management, they need to strengthen and improve their managerial approach, product flow, risk and profit structure,culture and attitude and changes and upgrading. Subject Terms (Key Word)： - technology startup company - technology commercialization - network in division of labor - innovation community - value chain - supply chain management

本研究以策略管理理論「策略形態分析」法與「策略矩陣分析」法為基礎，發展出新的分析架構–「價值單元展開分析」法，並與策略矩陣整合成為策略系統模型。藉由個案研究，驗證此策略系統模型如何使管理者能更精確地衡量未來策略規劃之選擇，最佳化公司未來競爭策略方向。 筆者以個案探討新創科技公司在持續變動與競爭之產業中，競爭策略分析與規劃之方法。以3D感測產業作為分析與研究之個案產業，並以其中一新創科技公司–L科技公司作為個案探討之對象，提出一以新創科技公司為出發點，在衡量現有與發展未來競爭策略時，可供利用與權衡的分析方法。 「價值單元展開分析」法追尋理性與系統化思考，為公司導入嚴謹明確、量化、及標準化的度量衡工具，使公司得以更加周詳完備與深入地分析其條件前提，將策略最佳化。且此架構具高度延展性，得充分配合公司進行各種思考面向之分析。此外，「價值單元展開分析」法亦可完全結合與相容於「策略矩陣分析」法之中，形成易於溝通與同步的策略系統模型，利用此特點解決公司在策略規劃時可能遭遇之混沌與困難，將效率、效益、及效能用在得當之處，使公司未來發展更符合目標。 / This study investigates the methods of analyzing and planning competitive strategies, with a case study of a technology startup company – “L Company” in the 3D sensor industry. Based on strategy analysis and Strategic Matrix Analysis, this study developed a new analytic framework – “Value Unit Expansion Analysis” which is a systematic model integrated into Strategic Matrix Analysis. By verifying the systematic model through the case, this study proposed a more precise and optimization–capable method to form a company’s future competitive strategies. Value Unit Expansion Analysis is a clarifying, quantifying, and standardizing method for the company to pave the path for factor condition analysis and strategic optimization. The structure was designed with a high flexibility in correspondence to different considerations and changing aspects; it is compatible and can be built within Strategic Matrix Analysis. The systematic model is liable for communication and synchronization during the process of strategy planning and, therefore, setting higher efficiency, benefit, and utility for pertinent strategies that fit into companies’ goals.

本研究依循Web 2.0內容平台的研究成果，探討在科技快速變遷之下，網路新創事業如何尋找創意靈感的源頭活水？如何以精實創業模式，節省時間與資源的浪費，透過社群經營找到商業模式創新的可能性，在競爭激烈的網路產業紅海中，快速搶占市場先機脫穎而出？ 首先，本研究針對過去許多學者在網路企業、虛擬社群、商業模式及精實創業等各理論的發展進行探討說明，接著以Eric Ries（2011）的精實創業理論與Steve Blank（2013）的精實創業三原則為研究主軸，融合Wheelwright and Clark（1994）的Design-build-test Cycle之Design Phase、Hagel Ш and Arthur G. Armstrong（1997）建立臨界數量會員的三大挑戰、Gary Hamel（2000）的事業經營模式，成為本研究分析架構的基礎。本研究採取探索性個案研究法，選取iCook愛料理及iPeen愛評網兩個企業個案，進行半結構式訪談，深入了解網路新創事業的起源、理念、發展與作法。 透過分析比較企業個案與文獻理論探討，本研究之發現如下： 一、新創事業的創意靈感來源，來自於對使用者的深入觀察及國外成功案例的啟發。創新商業模式的作法須以「企業價值主張」及「目標客群鎖定」為中心，透過「減法」方式建構最小可行方案，並融合國外創新成功因子及台灣在地文化，提升創新事業的新穎性及適地性。 二、建構虛擬社群的方式，須回歸於「產品功能介面」與「顧客使用經驗」的不斷優化，輔以知名品牌或關鍵人物的口碑宣傳，加速擴散行銷，並善用內容資產及消費者心理分析，加強產品的功能服務及客製化使用程度，以提升顧客對企業品牌的忠誠度。 三、以敏捷開發法創新商業模式，須由草根模式發展核心策略，適時參考顧客的回饋意見，不斷輸入外部知識以避免團隊核心僵化，進而加速產品開發週期循環，並藉由價值網絡的策略聯盟，累積企業的知名度與顧客流量，最後能以自身品牌資產主動創造合作網絡的價值。 最後依據結論提出網路新創事業在經營管理方面的建議，如下所述： 一、深度經營垂直性社群，輔以口碑行銷擴散社群廣度。 二、跨領域整合硬體、軟體、內容、服務各方優勢，創新商業模式的應用。 三、精實創業的過程，講求階段性開發的速度而非精準度，因此團隊成員的專業核心能力為成功的關鍵要素所在，配合顧客回饋意見及創新審核法的檢視，以薄創新的開發方式搶占市場先機。 / Based on the study results of Web2.0, this research attempted to explore how internet new businesses seek for inspiration in the era of rapid advancement of technologies? How can they discover the possibilities of inventing a new business model by taking community as the business center and seize the market in such a competitive network industries by employing the lean startup model to make good use of time and avoid wasting resources? First of all, this research aims at discussing the development of theories of internet enterprises, virtual communities, business models and the lean startup models put forward by scholars. Next, the basic structure of this research is formed by centering on The Lean Startup Model Theory (Eric Ries, 2011) and Three Principles of The Learn Startup Model (Steve Blank, 2013), and further integrates Design-build-test Cycle(Wheelwright and Clark, 1994), Three Challenges of Developing Critical Mass(Hagel Ш and Arthur G. Armstrong, 199) and Business Model Theory(Gary Hamel, 2000). This research adopted an exploratory case study method, where data was collected through semi-structured interviews with two enterprises—iCook and iPeen, to analyze and understand the origin, concepts, development and measures of innovative business network. After this study compared the analysis of the case study of the enterprises and reviewed literatures, the findings of this research are as follows. First, the inspiration of innovative businesses stem from closely studying targeted users and successful cases from overseas. Innovative business models should be “value-proposition-oriented” and “targeting-customer-oriented”, employ “subtraction” to develop a feasible plan and fuse successful elements of abroad cases and Taiwan culture into innovative business models to enhance the novelty and localization of innovative businesses. Second, the methods of establishing virtual communities should put emphasis on ceaselessly optimizing “product function interface” and “customer’s using experience”, cooperate with well-known brands or key men to promote products and marketing, make good use of content assets and customer psychology analyses, and intensify product function services and customization utilities to increase customer loyalty in business brands. Third, agile-development-based innovation business models should center A Grass Roots Model of Strategy Formation to develop core strategies, take customers’ feedback into consideration, and constantly instill external knowledge to avoid core rigidities to further accelerate product development cycle; through value network of strategic alliance, the enterprises accumulate corporate recognition and customer flow. Eventually ebterprises can establish their own brands to actively create the value of cooperative network. Finally, based on the conclusions, this research proposed three suggestions of management for the internet new business as below. First, deeply engage with vertical community and cooperate with word of mouth marketing to extent the span of community. Second, to integrate hardware, software, content and service interdisciplinarily in order to innovate the application of business model. Third, the process of The Lean Startup emphasized on the speed of phased development rather than accuracy. Therefore, the key success element is the professional skills of the entrepreneurial team members, with customer’s feedback and innovation accounting method of viewing the business in order to accelerate the development of innovation to seize market opportunities.

Ultra low power wireless sensors and sensor systems are of increasing interest in a variety of applications ranging from structural health monitoring to industrial process control. Electrochemical batteries have thus far remained the primary energy sources for such systems despite the finite associated lifetimes imposed due to limitations associated with energy density. However, certain applications (such as implantable biomedical electronic devices and tire pressure sensors) require the operation of sensors and sensor systems over significant periods of time, where battery usage may be impractical and add cost due to the requirement for periodic re-charging and/or replacement. In order to address this challenge and extend the operational lifetime of wireless sensors, there has been an emerging research interest on harvesting ambient vibration energy. Vibration energy harvesting is a technology that generates electrical energy from ambient kinetic energy. Despite numerous research publications in this field over the past decade, low power density and variable ambient conditions remain as the key limitations of vibration energy harvesting. In terms of the piezoelectric transducers, the open-circuit voltage is usually low, which limits its power while extracted by a full-bridge rectifier. In terms of the interface circuits, most reported circuits are limited by the power efficiency, suitability to real-world vibration conditions and system volume due to large off-chip components required. The research reported in this thesis is focused on increasing power output of piezoelectric transducers and power extraction efficiency of interface circuits. There are five main chapters describing two new design topologies of piezoelectric transducers and three novel active interface circuits implemented with CMOS technology. In order to improve the power output of a piezoelectric transducer, a series connection configuration scheme is proposed, which splits the electrode of a harvester into multiple equal regions connected in series to inherently increase the open-circuit voltage generated by the harvester. This topology passively increases the rectified power while using a full-bridge rectifier. While most of piezoelectric transducers are designed with piezoelectric layers fully covered by electrodes, this thesis proposes a new electrode design topology, which maximizes the raw AC output power of a piezoelectric harvester by finding an optimal electrode coverage. In order to extract power from a piezoelectric harvester, three active interface circuits are proposed in this thesis. The first one improves the conventional SSHI (synchronized switch harvesting on inductor) by employing a startup circuitry to enable the system to start operating under much lower vibration excitation levels. The second one dynamically configures the connection of the two regions of a piezoelectric transducer to increase the operational range and output power under a variety of excitation levels. The third one is a novel SSH architecture which employs capacitors instead of inductors to perform synchronous voltage flip. This new architecture is named as SSHC (synchronized switch harvesting on capacitors) to distinguish from SSHI rectifiers and indicate its inductorless architecture.

Il presente lavoro di tesi ha l’obiettivo di approfondire la conoscenza dei diversi aspetti del marketing del food & beverage, in considerazione dei molteplici cambiamenti occorsi e derivanti non solo dalla tecnologia ma anche dalle preferenze dei consumatori. A tal proposito, la ricerca adotta una triplice prospettiva, prendendo in considerazione l’analisi degli attori fondamentali esperti delle dinamiche del settore: gli insegnanti di educazione alimentare nelle scuole italiene; i professionisti di marketing, trade marketing e vendite nei loro processi di integrazione; le startup digitali coinvolte nello sviluppo di progetti che innovano i canali e le modalità distributivi. Pertanto, ogni capitolo di questo lavoro si focalizza in modo indipendente su ognuno degli attori proposti, presentando evidenze empiriche e spunti di ricerca futuri. L’obiettivo dell’intero studio è dunque di analizzare l’evoluzione del settore food & beverage a livello empirico e di fornire degli avanzamenti dal punto di vista teorico. / This research project deepens the knowledge around many aspects of the marketing of the food and beverage industry to address the new challenges deriving from both incremental and disruptive changes and more unpredictable consumers’ preferences. The research adopts different perspectives of three fundamental actors: consumers, established firms, and new ventures. The first study examines teachers’ perceptions and feelings around nutrition education, to what extent these professional figures can affect students’ behavior and how they perceive the relationship with families. The second study focuses on the integration of marketing, trade marketing, and sales functions within established firms. The third paper analyzes digital startups, and it contributes to the entrepreneurial literature on startups development and survival and the development of dynamic capabilities. The aim of the study is twofold, both empirical and theoretical. At a more empirical level, the goal is to provide an in-depth understanding of the evolution of marketing in the changing and complex environment of the food and beverage system, regarding competition, channels and institutions and consumers. At a theoretical level, it tries to provide some explanatory propositions for each analyzed setting.

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Managing radical change is a critical undertaking for young companies aiming to achieve growth and adapt to evolving market dynamics. This research explores the strategies, models and challenges involved in navigating and implementing significant organizational changes. The research examines the root causes of radical change failures and investigates the impact this might have on employees and organizations. The identified key factors for failure in radical change management are among others: lack of communication and information, lack of training and support, lack of proper documentation, and lack of skilled leadership and proper performance management. The research also found that poorly managed change implicates employees' well-being and grows issues of personal matter, such as performance, competence and trust-related problems. Identified implications for organizations are among others; lack of controls, damaged public relations, inefficient processes and decreased performance. Finally, the research identified the potential need for creating a new management theory that would support young companies in managing radical change specifically.

Research and Development engineering is at the corner stone of humanity’s evolution. It is perceived to be a systematic creative process which ultimately improves the living standard of a society through the creation of new applications and products. The commercial paradigm that governs project selection, resource allocation and market penetration prevails when the focus shifts from pure research to applied research. Furthermore, the road to success through commercialisation is difficult for most inventors, especially in a vast and isolated country such as Australia which is located a long way from wealthy and developed economies. While market leading products are considered unique, the actual process to achieve these products is essentially the same; progressing from an idea, through development to an outcome (if successful). Unfortunately, statistics indicate that only 3% of ‘ideas’ are significantly successful, 4% are moderately successful, and the remainder ‘evaporate’ in that form (Michael Quinn, Chairman, Innovation Capital Associates Pty Ltd). This study demonstrates and analyses two techniques developed by the author which reduce uncertainty in the engineering design and development phase of new product development and therefore increase the probability of a successful outcome. This study expands the existing knowledge of the engineering design and development stage in the new product development process and is couched in the identification of practical methods, which have been successfully used to develop new products by Australian Small Medium Enterprise (SME) Excel Technology Group Pty Ltd (ETG). Process theory is the term most commonly used to describe scientific study that identifies occurrences that result from a specified input state to an output state, thus detailing the process used to achieve an outcome. The thesis identifies relevant material and analyses recognised and established engineering processes utilised in developing new products. The literature identified that case studies are a particularly useful method for supporting problem-solving processes in settings where there are no clear answers or where problems are unstructured, as in New Product Development (NPD). This study describes, defines, and demonstrates the process of new product development within the context of historical product development and a ‘live’ case study associated with an Australian Government START grant awarded to Excel Technology Group in 2004 to assist in the development of an image-based vehicle detection product. This study proposes two techniques which reduce uncertainty and thereby improve the probability of a successful outcome. The first technique provides a predicted project development path or forward engineering plan which transforms the initial ‘fuzzy idea’ into a potential and achievable outcome. This process qualifies the ‘fuzzy idea’ as a potential, rationale or tangible outcome which is within the capability of the organisation. Additionally, this process proposes that a tangible or rationale idea can be deconstructed in reverse engineering process in order to create a forward engineering development plan. A detailed structured forward engineering plan reduces the uncertainty associated with new product development unknowns and therefore contributes to a successful outcome. This is described as the RETRO technique. The study recognises however that this claim requires qualification and proposes a second technique. The second technique proposes that a two dimensional spatial representation which has productivity and consumed resources as its axes, provides an effective means to qualify progress and expediently identify variation from the predicted plan. This spatial representation technique allows a quick response which in itself has a prediction attribute associated with directing the project back onto its predicted path. This process involves a coterminous comparison between the predicted development path and the evolving actual project development path. A consequence of this process is verification of progress or the application of informed, timely and quantified corrective action. This process also identifies the degree of success achieved in the engineering design and development phase of new product development where success is defined as achieving a predicted outcome. This spatial representation technique is referred to as NPD Mapping. The study demonstrates that these are useful techniques which aid SMEs in achieving successful new product outcomes because the technique are easily administered, measure and represent relevant development process related elements and functions, and enable expedient quantified responsive action when the evolving path varies from the predicted path. These techniques go beyond time line representations as represented in GANTT charts and PERT analysis, and represent the base variables of consumed resource and productivity/technical achievement in a manner that facilitates higher level interpretation of time, effort, degree of difficulty, and product complexity in order to facilitate informed decision making. This study presents, describes, analyses and demonstrates an SME focused engineering development technique, developed by the author, that produces a successful new product outcome which begins with a ‘fuzzy idea’ in the mind of the inventor and concludes with a successful new product outcome that is delivered on time and within budget. Further research on a wider range of SME organisations undertaking new product development is recommended.