Collaboration in industrial product and process innovations

This paper focuses on manufacturing industries and especially on challenges in embedded system innovation. Embedded systems are composed of mechanical, electronic and software components. Collaborative innovation of internal and external resources is a requirement for ensuring embedded system functionality. The paper describes how in a single case study to utilise a generic framework for the definition and development of innovation processes in embedded systems. Our research context is a medium-sized Finnish embedded systems provider and their product innovations and process innovations. We also discuss organisational innovations when implementing new methods in the firm's business practices. Innovation processes in SMEs' are not typically well documented. Our case study shows that even SMEs might have complex processes with multiple actors. A generic framework for process definition helps in the realisation of process descriptions.