The non-disruptive emergence of an Ecosystem for 3D Printing

PublikationArtikel (med peer review)

Christian Sandström, Disruptiva innovationer, Företagandets villkor

Sammanfattning

3D Printing technologies have received extensive attention in recent years, but empirical investigations of how this technology is used for manufacturing are still sparse. More knowledge is also needed regarding how 3D Printing affects the competitive dynamics between firms. This article explores how 3D Printing has been adopted for manufacturing and discusses under what conditions it might influence competition in different industries. Drawing upon data from the global hearing aid industry’s adoption of 3D Printing during the period 1989-2008, this paper describes some of the benefits of using the technology, while also pointing out challenges firms encounter in making a transition. The study shows that early adopters were exposed to more technological uncertainty related to choosing printers. All firms encountered operational challenges as 3D Printing required new skill sets, but the technology had little impact on the competitive dynamics of this industry. Drawing upon literature on technological discontinuities, platforms and ecosystems, the paper illustrates and explains why the technology was not disruptive and also discusses how these findings apply to other industries where 3D Printing is currently gaining momentum.

Sandström, C. (2016). The non-disruptive emergence of an Ecosystem for 3D Printing – Insights from the Hearing aid industry’s transition 1989-2008. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 102, 160-168. DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2015.09.006

Sammanfattning

Liknande innehåll

Introducing the inverted Icarus paradox in business history – Evidence from David and Goliath in the Swedish telecommunications industry 1981–1990

Artikel (med peer review)Publikation

Eriksson, K.; Lakomaa, E.; Nykvist, R.; Sandström, C.

Publiceringsår

2024

Publicerat i

Business History, Advance online publication.

Sammanfattning

Previous research in business and management history has identified the Icarus paradox, which describes how organisations may fall due to overconfidence and hubris. We build upon previous research on paradoxes in business history and introduce the notion of an inverted Icarus paradox. Using rich archival sources coded in a relational database, we show how an entrant firm, Comvik, outmanoeuvred an established government monopoly in the non-market domain from 1980 to 1990, despite inferior resources and a weak market position. The government monopoly Televerket faced an inverted Icarus paradox; it could not leverage its strengths and political connections as they were stuck in a David versus Goliath narrative where public opinion was more sympathetic to the entrant firm Comvik.

Is Hydrogen a green bubble? A review of Samuel Furfari’s book The Hydrogen Illusion

Artikel (utan peer review)Publikation

Sandström, C., & Eskilson, E.

Publiceringsår

2024

Publicerat i

Journal of Evolutionary Economics

Sammanfattning

The Hydrogen Illusion (2022) is a self-published book by Samuel Furfari, a retired chemical engineer who worked for 36 years in energy policy at the European Commission. Hydrogen has been brought to the forefront of environmental policy in recent years as the EU and other Western economies are allocating billions of euros and dollars towards hydrogen production. Furfari argues that this is a mistake, and that hydrogen has little potential as an energy form, primarily as it requires so much energy in order to be produced. While at times technical and difficult to follow, The Hydrogen Illusion is a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate about how Western economies can combine economic and environmental development.

Seven reasons why mission-oriented innovation policies seldom work in practice

Artikel (med peer review)Publikation

Henrekson, M., Sandström, C., & Stenkula, M.

Publiceringsår

2024

Publicerat i

Economic Affairs

Sammanfattning

Large-scale government programmes and centrally directed industrial policies to address well-defined societal goals – mission-oriented innovation policies (hereafter referred to as ‘missions’) – are now prominent on many governments’ agendas. This new-found enthusiasm that a ‘visible hand’ should – or perhaps even must – drive the economy forward has, until recently, escaped significant critical scrutiny. There is a dearth of academic studies examining how, when and why such missions often risk failure.

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