Many companies rely on successful product development as a means to increase their revenues and expand their operations. Market pull, the most common form of product development, begins with a specific customer, and focuses on how to satisfy that customer's needs. Technology push is a product development process where a technology is first discovered, then embodied in products that may be marketed to specific customers. Technology push presents several obstacles not encountered in market pull processes, such as a lack of a defined market, lack of established processes and difficulty in execution. These complications keep technology push from being more widely used. However, when successful, technology push also presents opportunity for rapid innovation, the discovery of disruptive technologies, and the ability to produce several products from a single R&D effort. The existing literature for accomplishing technology push product development is presented at a high level. The research for this thesis provides a step-by-step method for generating and evaluating concepts in the technology push product development process. The model for accomplishing these steps was generated by taking the existing Technology Application Selection (TAS) process and supplying the necessary detail to allow product developers to complete the necessary steps. It also explains in detail several of the steps outlined in existing technology push processes. In order to lend credence to the process presented in this thesis, a number of experiments were conducted, with the participants being asked to evaluate the process steps. Their feedback was used to ensure that the process met the predetermined success criteria for the product development process.

Detta examensarbete handlar om utvecklingen av kylare med inriktning på nyutveckling. Det relevanta behovet av patent för kylare, att undersöka vad kunden behöver vid sida av hur integration ska ske samt kombinationen av market pull och technology push är de fyra huvudområden som behandlas i studien. Bortsett från inkrementella förbättringar, har mycket lite utveckling gjorts inom kylare på senare tid, vilket återspeglas i några nämnvärda förändringar. Dessutom har lite tidigare arbete utförts på utvecklingen av kylare, vilket förklarar varför en utforskande metod har använts. Kvalitativa data har samlats in från åtta olika kunder med målet att fastställa behoven och de huvudsakliga tendenserna på marknaden, en studie användes som ett exempel för att stödja de olika resonemangen. En grundlig litteraturstudie och analys av marknaden har genomförts för att bättre förstå syftet för utveckling av kylare. Patent har visat sig vara relevanta för kylare, eftersom patenterade inkrementella innovationer ger produktdifferentiering i en starkt konkurrensutsatt marknad. Däremot kan kostnaderna bli ett problem för genomförandet. Faktumet att kunderna vill kylare med ett lägre pris och en förbättrad kylkapacitet är den viktigaste slutsatsen av de utförda intervjuerna. Komplexiteten i strukturen som förbinder företaget och dess kunder, och det faktum att marknaden inte är helt medveten om sina behov resulterar i en obetydlig marknadshänsyn inom utvecklingsprocessen. Bristen på marknadsintegration tillsammans med insikten att avsaknaden av grundlig nyutveckling kan försämra utvecklingen av kylare vilket har lett till en ny ram av utveckling. Baserat på integrationen av marknadens pull and technology push, är målet att utveckla mer nyutveklade kylare. / Air-oil coolers are hydraulic products whose purpose is to cool down the temperature of oil in a hydraulic system. This thesis project deals with their development with an emphasis on innovation. Apart from incremental improvements, very little innovation has been developed for coolers in recent times, which is reflected in few notable changes. Additionally, very little previous work has been conducted on the development of coolers, which explains why an explorative method was implemented. Qualitative data was collected from eight different customers with the purpose of determining the needs and the main tendencies, and a case study was used as an example to support the various reasonings. A thorough literature review and the market analysis have been carried out to better understand the context in which coolers are developed. The relevance of patents for coolers, the uncovering of the customer needs along with their integration as well as the combination of market pull and technology push concepts have been addressed. Thus, patents are proven to be relevant for coolers, because the patented innovations provide product differentiation in the highly competitive environment. However, their low added value can be an impediment to their exploitation. The fact that customers want coolers with a lower price and an improved cooling capacity is the major finding of the performed interviews. The complexity of the structure connecting the company and its customers, and the fact that the market is not completely aware of its needs, result in market considerations insubstantially integrated in the development process. Finally, the deficiency of market integration, in addition to the lack of radical innovation led to a suggested framework. Based on the integration of market pull and technology push approaches, it pursues the objective of fostering innovation in the development of coolers.

Technology push product development presents a number of challenges over the more typical market pull product development. Despite these challenges, enough advantages exist to motivate firms to develop technology push products at greater risk. Modularity is a tool that can address some of these challenges. Currently most research and application of modularity have focused on market pull product development efforts. The research in this thesis explores the value of modularity in technology push product development through the development of methods and the analysis of 68 example products including 35 technology push products. A method has been developed for quantifying the degree to which a product is market pull and technology push by applying scores derived from customer feedback. In the development of the scoring method, the meaning of the terms market pull and technology push have been explored and clarified allowing for beneficial application. The scoring method was applied to 68 example products and then statistically evaluated to determine the effect that the market pull and technology push scores have on the probability of product success. With the market pull and technology push scores as a basis for the probability of success, the effect of modularity in technology push products can be determined. The concept of technology modularity was introduced in comparison to product modularity. Each of the 35 technology push products was evaluated to determine the level of both product and technology modularity present. These levels are used to statistically evaluate the affect of modularity on the probability of product success. This research presents methods for determining if technology modularity can significantly improve the probability of product success with examples indicating its value and application. Technology modularity, and its application, is validated as an important concept for technology push product developers. Three example products are provided to illustrate the application of this research to improve product development decisions. The methods, results, and conclusions of this research provide product developers with a powerful tool to aid them in the successful development and commercialization of technology push products.

Advances in wireless networking and the Internet move us toward ubiquitous and embedded computing. Ubiquitous and embedded computing enhances computer use by making computers available throughout the physical environment while making them effectively invisible to the user. In the ubiquitous and embedded computing era, computers in the traditional sense gradually fade, and information mediated by computers is available anywhere and anytime through devices that are embedded in the environment. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is one of the key technologies of the ubiquitous and embedded computing era. RFID is a technology used to identify, track, and trace a person or object and enables the automated collection of important business information. RFID minimizes human intervention in the person and object identification process by using electronic tags and is expected to complement or replace traditional barcode technology. RFID is a highly beneficial technological advancement which ultimately may change the way of doing business. This study examines the RFID adoption decision process and proposes a model predicting the likelihood of adopting RFID within organizations in the healthcare industry. A considerable number of studies have been conducted regarding organizational information technology (IT) adoption, but the nature of the organizational IT adoption process is still not well understood. It is even posited that the only consistency found in the organizational adoption literature is the inconsistency of research results. The inconsistency of results is partially explained by changes in technological, organizational, and environmental statuses. Therefore, factors explaining traditional IT adoption may not justify RFID adoption and should be revisited and revalidated. In addition, given the ongoing importance of RFID, it is very important to identify the unique factors that contribute to the likelihood of adopting RFID. In this study, an organizational RFID adoption model is proposed and empirically tested by a survey using a sample of 865 senior executives in U. S. hospitals. The model posits that three categories of factors, technology push, need pull, and decision maker characteristics, determine the likelihood of adopting RFID within organizations. The relationships between those three categories and the likelihood of adopting RFID are strengthened or weakened by organizational readiness. This study may serve as the theoretical and empirical basis for research on other forms of ubiquitous and embedded computing systems.

This thesis emerged from a question that had been repeating itself in my head for a long period of time: If myself and the rest of the world face the fact that we are likely to keep flying for years to come for reasons somehow considered valid, how can we at the same time still contribute efficiently to achieving a more sustainable future of aviation? Based on this dilemma and focusing on the factor of impact, an actor with the power of creating a larger impact than a single individual was firstly identified. This actor also provides the perspective used in this thesis. Meaning, the perspective of international companies that rely on flying for business for the purpose of surviving and thriving. The report’s purpose is to explore the opportunities and barriers for these companies with a will to contribute to the transformation to a future of sustainable aviation. The criteria of this company category are being both “international” and also “dependent” on business aviation. The term "international" in this context will later be defined and clarified, just as the definition of "dependent". Furthermore, this thesis is written based on an abductive literature study combined with a case study of an anonymous company located in Zürich, Switzerland. The Companyis included in the above category and could validate the hypothesis that companies like these exist through a series of interviews with employees.The validation of this hypothesis also paved the way to further explore the research questions on how these companies as customers can work both internally and externally with other stakeholders to enhance a Demand-Pull effect towards a more sustainable direction. It also discusses the Technology-Push effect from other stakeholders and its role in driving sustainable innovation development and implementation in technologies such as SAF, hydrogen and electric aviation. How to contribute to this large shift of an entire industry as a company that neither has expertise in sustainability nor aviation is exactly what is presented in the result, discussion and conclusion. Also, the possible consequences for a business and its employees that can follow by being involved and contribute to aviation sustainability. In addition, a mapping of awareness, knowledge gaps, motivation, and incentives has been done in order to identify the barriers and opportunities of the issue. / Detta arbete härstammar från en fråga som upprepat sig i mitt huvud under en längre tid: Om jag och resten av världen står inför det faktum att vi sannolikt kommer att fortsätta flyga i flera år framöver av skäl som på något sätt anses giltiga, hur kan vi samtidigt fortfarande bidra effektivt till att uppnå en mer hållbar framtid för flygindustrin? Utifrån detta dilemma och med fokus på hur man kan påverka som mest, identifierades först en aktör med kraften att skapa ett större genomslag än en enskild individ. Denna aktör bidrar också med det perspektiv som används i denna rapport. Det vill säga, perspektivet av internationella företag som är beroende av att flyga i affärssyfte för att överleva och växa. Syftet med rapporten är att utforska möjligheter och hinder för dessa företag med en vilja att bidra till omvandlingen till en framtid för hållbart flyg. Kriterierna för denna företagskategori är att vara både "internationell" och även "beroende" av affärsflyg. Termen "internationell" i detta sammanhang kommer senare att definieras och förtydligas, precis som definitionen av "beroende". Vidare är denna uppsats skriven baserat på en abduktiv litteraturstudie kombinerad med en fallstudie av ett anonymt företag beläget i Zürich, Schweiz. Företaget ingår i ovan nämnda kategori och kan därmed validera hypotesen att företag som dessa existerar genom en serie intervjuer utförda med anställda. Valideringen av denna hypotes banade också vägen för att ytterligare utforska frågeställningen om hur dessa företag som kunder kan arbeta både internt och externt med andra intressenter för att förstärka en Demand-Pull-effekt mot en mer hållbar riktning. Rapporten diskuterar också Technology-Push-effekten från andra intressenter och dess roll i att driva hållbar innovationsutveckling och implementering inom teknologier som SAF, vätgas och elflyg. Hur ett företag kan bidra till detta stora skifte av en hel bransch utan kompetens inom hållbarhet eller flyg är precis vad som presenteras i resultat, diskussion och slutsats. Även de möjliga konsekvenserna för ett företag och dess anställda som kan följa genom att vara delaktiga och bidra till flygindustrins hållbarhet. Slutligen, har en kartläggning av medvetenhet, kunskapsluckor, motivation och incitament gjorts i syfte att identifiera var möjliga hinder och möjligheter finns.

Abstract: Title: An It consulting company and its relationship with customers Level: C-examination Bachelor’s degree in innovation, design and technology. IDT, 15hp. VT 17th Authors: Jonatan Clemens & Staffan Hjalmarsson Handler: Anette Strömberg Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate how a major company meets the users and their needs as well as where and how the interaction with the user is done. Suggestions for areas of change are proposed in connection with the completion of the study. Research questions: -How does a consulting firm work with customers/users? -Are their work methods similar to what is described as successful in research on customer involvement? -Can work processes be improved? Method: The authors have used the qualitative method that has been developed as oral semi-structured interviews. The study is based much on hermeneutic form which means that one summarizes his own interpretations to get a deeper understanding. Conclusion: A conjunction and analysis of theoretical areas dealt with and empirical information led to the conclusion that there are indications that the company largely do not work according to established research the paper deals with. Assignment purpose: The essay should mainly have contributed to a deeper understanding on the subject of customer relations and should contribute beneficial information for a consulting firm regarding their client work. / Sammanfattning: Titel: Ett IT-konsultföretag och dess relation till kunder Nivå: C-uppsats: Examensarbete för kandidatexamen i innovationsteknik 15.0 hp. VT 17. Författarna: Jonatan Clemens & Staffan Hjalmarsson Handledare: Anette Strömberg Datum: 2016-11-07 - 2017-01-12 Syfte: Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur ett större företag möter användare och deras behov samt var och hur interaktion med dessa användare sker. Förslag på förändringsområden föreslås i samband med fullföljd studie. Forskningsfrågor: -Hur arbetar ett konsultföretag med kunder/användare? -Liknar deras arbetssätt vad som beskrivs som framgångsrikt i forskning om kundinvolvering? -Kan arbetsprocesserna förbättras? Metod: Författarna har använt sig av en kvalitativ metod som tagits fram i form av muntliga semistrukturerade intervjuer. Studien Bygger mycket på hermeneutisk form som innebär att man sammanfattar sina egna tolkningar för att få en djupare förståelse. Resultat: En sammanvägning och analys av genomgångna teoretiska områden och empiri gav slutsatsen att det finns indikationer på att företaget till stor del inte arbetar efter etablerad forskning uppsatsen behandlar. Uppsatsens bidrag: Uppsatsen har framförallt bidragit till en djupare förståelse kring ämnet kundrelationer samt ska bidra med fördelaktig information för konsultföretaget gällande deras arbete.

Lamina emergent mechanisms (LEMs) are a maturing technology that is prepared for commercial implementation into new products. LEMs are defined by three functional characteristics; they (1) are compliant, (2) are fabricated from planar materials, and (3) emerge from a flat initial state. Advantages, design challenges, and design tools are described for each of the functional characteristics. Opportunities for LEMs are discussed, namely disposable LEMs, novel arrays of LEMs, scaled LEMs, LEMs with surprising motion, shock absorbing LEMs, and deployable LEMs. Technology push product development processes were employed to select applications for LEMs. LEM technology was characterized. In a LEM workshop, eighteen industry professionals then helped identify over 200 potential applications for the technology. The applications were evaluated, and the most promising ideas that were identified for each LEM opportunity are described with graphics of possible product embodiments. Of the various product opportunities enabled by LEMs, deployable mechanisms – particularly in the credit card size – are among the most viable. The compactness and portability of credit-card-sized products create a strong motivation for their development. Expanding the capabilities of credit-card-sized mechanisms to include more sophisticated motions and a broader range of tasks may dramatically increase their market potential. A review of the current state-of-the-art in credit-card-sized mechanisms reveals two primary classes of mechanisms most commonly used in this form factor: rigid-body mechanisms and in-plane compliant mechanisms. The limitations of each and corresponding LEM advantages are described. Criteria for determining whether a product is a suitable candidate for using LEM technology to create or improve a credit-card-sized product are established. The advantages of LEMs in credit-card-sized products are illustrated through an example product: a compact lancing device that could be used as a main component for a highly portable epinephrine syringe.

The current linear “take-make-use-dispose” approach relies on an ever-increasing demand of new products as a driver of economic growth. In this approach, companies usually make profit by frequent product replacements, even though these products are typically still fully functional. This is unsustainable as it strains natural resources and contributes significantly to environmental degradation. To counter this, the concept of a CE promotes extending product lifecycles through strategies such as reuse, repair, remanufacture, or recycling. One effective strategy is upgrading certain product modules to incorporate the latest technological developments, thereby extending the lifetime of a product, improving functionality, and thus creating additional value for the customer. However, companies face the challenge of planning products and the associated technologies across multiple product generations. A lever for this is technology foresight, aiming to identify emerging technological developments at an early stage so companies can exploit their potential. This approach helps to pinpoint the technological areas of a product with high innovation cycles that are ideal for upgrades to meet new customer requirements and extend the product's lifetime. This thesis focuses on developing an approach for technology foresight to enable an upgrade circular economy. The research includes a review of existing literature about technology foresight and upgrade circular economy, identifying key gaps and opportunities for innovation. The proposed approach combines market-pull and technology-push, as both are drivers for the development of new technologies. The market-pull perspective aims to identify key factors driving technological developments through market-oriented influences such as changing market trends or customer requirements. These requirements are translated into technical functions using the QFD method. The technology-push perspective, on the other hand, aims to identify key factors driving technological developments through technology-oriented influences such as new scientific discoveries. The proposed approach distinguishes between inside-out and outside-in technology identification. The identified technologies are then analyzed based on their development dynamics using publication or patent analysis. The theoretical approach developed in this thesis serves as a starting point for further research activities to implement the idea of an upgrade circular economy. / Den nuvarande linjära "take-make-use-dispose"-strategin bygger på en ständigt ökande efterfrågan på nya produkter som drivkraft för ekonomisk tillväxt. Enligt detta synsätt tjänar företagen pengar på att ofta byta ut produkter, trots att dessa produkter vanligtvis fortfarande är fullt funktionsdugliga. Detta är ohållbart eftersom det tär på naturresurserna och bidrar till en betydande miljöförstöring. För att motverka detta främjar CE-konceptet en förlängning av produkternas livscykler genom strategier som återanvändning, reparation, återtillverkning eller återvinning. En effektiv strategi är att uppgradera vissa produktmoduler för att införliva den senaste tekniska utvecklingen och därigenom förlänga produktens livslängd, förbättra funktionaliteten och därmed skapa mervärde för kunden. Företagen står dock inför utmaningen att planera produkter och tillhörande teknik över flera produktgenerationer. En hävstång för detta är teknisk framsynthet, som syftar till att identifiera nya tekniska utvecklingar på ett tidigt stadium så att företagen kan utnyttja deras potential. Detta tillvägagångssätt hjälper till att identifiera de tekniska områden i en produkt med höga innovationscykler som är idealiska för uppgraderingar för att uppfylla nya kundkrav och förlänga produktens livslängd. Denna avhandling fokuserar på att utveckla ett tillvägagångssätt för teknikprognoser för att möjliggöra en uppgraderad cirkulär ekonomi. Forskningen omfattar en genomgång av befintlig litteratur om teknikprognoser och uppgradering av cirkulär ekonomi, och identifierar viktiga luckor och möjligheter till innovation. Det föreslagna tillvägagångssättet kombinerar market-pull och technology-push, eftersom båda är drivkrafter för utvecklingen av ny teknik. Market-pull-perspektivet syftar till att identifiera nyckelfaktorer som driver den tekniska utvecklingen genom marknadsorienterade influenser, t.ex. förändrade marknadstrender eller kundkrav. Dessa krav översätts till tekniska funktioner med hjälp av QFD-metoden. Technology-push-perspektivet, å andra sidan, syftar till att identifiera nyckelfaktorer som driver den tekniska utvecklingen genom teknikorienterade influenser, t.ex. nya vetenskapliga upptäckter. Det föreslagna tillvägagångssättet skiljer mellan inside-out och outside-in teknikidentifiering. De identifierade teknologierna analyseras sedan utifrån deras utvecklingsdynamik med hjälp av publikations- eller patentanalys. Den teoretiska ansats som utvecklats i denna avhandling fungerar som en utgångspunkt för ytterligare forskningsaktiviteter för att genomföra idén om en uppgraderad cirkulär ekonomi.

Innovation and ‘creative destruction’ should thrive in the competitive, high risk and high cost environment of the North Sea. Paradoxically, uptake of new technology is slow. The focus of this research was to understand how new technology is developed and how end users make decisions about innovation. Innovation process in the literature can sometimes come across like a ‘black box’ without much explanation of what happens inside the box. This study seeks to explicate what transpires inside the ‘black box’ to improve our understanding of the innovation process. The linear models of technology-push and market-pull are too simplistic to account for the complexity of relationships and engagements that affect innovation at small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) level. Subsequent models of innovation are suited to how large corporations manage innovation but neglect patterns of social interactions at the micro level where SMEs operate. These innovation models are incomplete because they relegate the importance of context and how it shapes understanding, action and outcome. This study, rooted in a social constructionist paradigm, takes a process-relational stance on entrepreneurship and innovation, recognising the dynamic relationships between social actors and context. Taking Heidegger’s explication of how we relate to the world, this thesis submits that innovation occurs when actors move into the ‘occurrent’ mode. The happenings and doings in the innovation process are treated as the results of perpetual social constructions. This study is based on extended interviews with eleven individuals in relevant roles and with direct experiences of the technical innovation construction in the oil and gas industry. The purposeful sample of research encompasses a variety of roles including technology entrepreneurs, end users of technology and venture capitalists. This study makes a number of contributions. Firstly, the research improves our understanding of how different social constructions are welded together to develop shared understanding. Secondly, a conceptual framework is presented that bridges a number of theoretical concepts, which allows us to see that innovation cannot be properly understood using simplistic models that ignores the social constructions human actors instantiate. Thirdly, the research claims that problem framing is foundational to innovation construction, where social actors collaborate to develop shared understanding, and mentally represent in the present a future that is not totally knowable. Fourthly, an alternative model of innovation construction is presented that is relational and accounts for the social constructions of process participants. Finally, a number of research implications for academics and insights for practitioners engaged in the technical innovation construction are offered.

Cette thèse s’inscrit au croisement de plusieurs domaines de la recherche économique de l’innovation. Notre démarche fait appel à des résultats empiriques issus de l’économétrie de l’innovation. Pour étudier la relation entre innovation et demande, l’outil le plus adapté nous semble être le modèle de la croissance endogène fondé sur l’innovation par opposition au modèle de la croissance exogène. La nature et la direction de cette relation ont été explorées par différents courants économiques qui peuvent être classés selon deux grandes écoles. Les premiers sont les tenants de la thèse dite de la poussée technologique de l’innovation (« Technology-Push Innovation ») que l’on peut considérer très globalement comme « tirés » par les travaux de Joseph Schumpeter. Les seconds sont les tenants de l’approche dite de l’impulsion par la demande de l’innovation (« Demand-Pull Innovation ») dont les travaux pionniers ont été baptisés par Jacob Schmookler. Les travaux de Kleinknecht et Verspagen (1990) nous ont fortement inspiré pour démarrer cette thèse. Notre démarche constitue un prolongement et une complexification de leur analyse. En effet, l’objectif de cette thèse est double : monter que la relation entre innovation et demande n’est pas unidirectionnelle et, ce constat vérifié, examiner la possibilité d’étudier l’hétérogénéité des industries au sens de ces deux approches en fonction de leurs niveaux technologiques.Il nous semble que notre travail contribue à la compréhension des déterminants de l’innovation tels qu’ils ressortent de la controverse « Demand-Pull » versus « Technology-push », de trois façons :1) En proposant un survey problématisé de la littérature sur l’innovation,2) En présentant de façon originale des données sur la R&D et la productivité des industries des pays de l’OCDE,3) En suggérant que les modèles à correction d’erreur, maintenant très bien maîtrisés, peuvent apporter d’utiles éclairages à la question des modèles d’innovation (« Demand-Pull » versus « Technology-push »). / This thesis is at the intersection of several fields of economic research of innovation. Our approach uses empirical results from the econometrics of innovation. To study the relationship between innovation and demand, the most suitable seems to be the endogenous growth model based on innovation as opposed to the exogenous growth model. The nature and the direction of this relationship have been explored by various economic flows that can be classified into two major schools. The first are the proponents of so-called “Technology-Push Innovation” which may be regarded very broadly as “learned” by the work of Joseph Schumpeter. The latter are the proponents of the approach “Demand-Pull Innovation”, whose pioneering works have been baptized by Jacob Schmookler.The works of Kleinknecht and Verspagen (1990) have greatly inspired us to start this thesis. Our approach is an extension of this analysis. The purpose of this thesis is twofold: 1) showing that the relationship between innovation and demand is not unidirectional, 2) and this finding verified, examining the heterogeneity of industries within the meaning of these two approaches based on their technology levels.It seems to us that our work contributes to understanding the determinants of innovation as they emerge from the controversy “Demand-Pull” versus “Technology-push”, in three ways: 1) By offering a problematized survey of the literature on innovation, 2) By presenting, in an original way, data on R&D and productivity of industries in OECD countries, 3) By suggesting that the error correction models, now very well controlled, can provide useful insights to the issue of innovation models (“Demand-Pull” versus “Technology-push”).