Objective
"How to stay competitive by innovating and by developing new products and technologies is a central question to almost every industry in Europe, which today faces a growing globalization and rising market competition. With the proposed IAPP we shed light on new principles for innovation management and new product development. The principles are based on the concept of lean management, which has its roots in the Japanese Automotive industry (i.e. at Toyota) and which has been applied successfully in worldwide, especially in the area of production and manufacturing. By deploying lean management to product development, we close a relevant research gap and satisfy industry requirements. At the same time we contribute significantly to a substantial strengthening of Europe`s product development capabilities. In particular by researching and developing the concept ""lean development"" we derive novel management guidelines as principles which provide an integrated conceptual basis for a more time and cost efficient new product development (NPD). Questions we answer are: ""How can we develop products more efficient by applying lean principles?"" and ""How may lean development be implemented in Europe?"" The proposed IAPP illuminates these and other related questions by an intense TOK between four highly committed firms from different European countries (one is an SME), the ETH as a very capable and knowledgeable research institution, and an external (recruited) researcher who is very committed to the project and who is very experienced in the lean principles and the Japanese working culture on the one hand and product development on the other hand. Moreover, by conducting the method of experimental research we develop principles for lean development which are applicable, yet theoretically founded. Thus industry and academia benefit from each other highly."
Fields of science
Call for proposal
FP7-PEOPLE-IAPP-2008
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
MC-IAPP - Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways (IAPP)Coordinator
8092 Zuerich
Switzerland