A technology/customer fit framework for new business development

The problem this research project focuses on is the lack of a coherent framework for the front end innovation (FEI) phase, the first phase of the innovation process. This framework is needed to reach a Technology/customer fit, i.e., to effectively build a product concept. A product concept is essential to move to the next phase of the innovation process, the new product development (NPD) phase. To solve this problem, the Technology/customer fit framework is built in this research project that helps companies to effectively build a product concept. This is done by consistently combining and integrating the relevant theories, models, and techniques that are related to the front end innovation. In this framework the focus is on the technology platform and the lead users. Lead users are users at the front end of an important market trend and face needs and/or problems (not generally known to be solvable) that foreshadow general demand in the marketplace. In addition, they have usually built a solution and can provide design data. The overall innovation process is divided into three parts: FEI, NPD, and the commercialization process. In this thesis these are referred as, respectively: Technology/customer fit, Product/market fit, and the Scale phase.