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The aim of this paper is to advance the research on innovation at the pharma-nutrition interface by analysing the three steps of science, technology and market convergence in the area of probiotics using a life cycle perspective. Results from a bibliometric analysis drawing upon 8245 scientific publications, 2082 patents and 1357 news reports focussing on product launch announcements from 1990 up to 2009 indicate that the proposed curve shapes of the life cycles in the theory based framework can be transferred to the case of probiotics. There is a time shift considering the life cycles showing the same activities of the industrial sectors at different moments of time. The food sector dominates the field of probiotics by driving science, technology and market convergence showing earlier activities in scientific publications, patents as well as product launches, while presenting a higher clockspeed between the different life cycle phases. While the food sector dominates product launches for food products containing probiotics, the pharmaceutical sector dominates the product launches of the supplement market. In addition, a clear trend towards industry convergence can be identified by the growing number of cross-industry activities.
The relevance of cross-industry innovation has increased in recent decades with a growing number of inter-industry fields emerging on the borderline between formerly distinct industries. The aim of this paper is to analyse industry convergence in four probiotics innovation value chains based on the following indicators: cross-industry relationships along the innovation value chain as well as knowledge, technological, regulatory and competence convergence. In so doing, the study delivers a framework of indicators for scrutinising industry convergence processes. In order to identify industry convergence, we analyse companies in the converging area of foods and drugs based on products containing the four bacteria strains: Lactobacillus caseii DN 114001, Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12, Lactobacillus acidophilus LA5 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus. Hence, the commercial availability of the strains on the market serves as a selection criterion. Altogether 12 companies stemming from four industrial backgrounds, food and agriculture (5), pharmaceutics (5), chemistry (1) and personal care (1), as well as one research organisation are identified. Cross-industry relationships occur along the innovation value chains of the four strains. Clear signs of knowledge and technological convergence are found as companies are not only publishing and patenting in the usual area of their own industrial field but also in the area of other industrial fields. Companies with different industrial backgrounds show activities in obtaining health claims indicating regulatory convergence. Companies' competence bases seem to converge as companies with different industrial backgrounds are involved in acquisitions, licencing agreements and strategic alliances (competence convergence). We contribute to the existing body of literature by assessing industry convergence from an innovation value chain perspective with a set of indicators reflecting the intensity of industry convergence. This framework of indicators stemming from literature has not yet been used in a combined comprehensive analysis. Furthermore, we tried to show the characteristics of strategic types driving industry convergence in probiotics.
Studenten sowie Praktiker erhalten eine praxisorientierte Einführung in die zentralen Grundlagen des Marketing. Ausgangspunkt jedes Kapitels ist eine Fallstudie, die eine konkrete praktische Rahmenbedingung eines Unternehmens vorstellt. Diese Situation wird in den Ausführungen dann mit den theoretischen und methodischen Ansätzen verknüpft. Dadurch wird die Transferleistung von Theorie zur Praxis und vice versa für den Leser erleichtert. Der Leser lernt auf diese Weise die Aufgaben des Marketing im Unternehmen zu verstehen und einzuschätzen. Neben der Unternehmensperspektive wird ferner ein Verständnis über die Markt- und Konsumentenperspektive erarbeitet. Darüber hinaus werden die klassischen Instrumente des Marketing-Mix nicht nur singulär dargestellt, sondern mit Bezügen zu den originären Wachstum- oder Kostenzielen von Unternehmen. Zusätzliche Übungen helfen Studierenden, sich frühzeitig auf Klausuren vorzubereiten.