Commercialising Breakthrough Technologies: Scenarios and Strategies

Abstract

In this chapter we focus on different strategies for commercialising breakthrough technologies. After the invention of their technology, pioneers might be confronted with completely different scenarios, each of which requires another strategy. These strategies are studied for the cases of the photocopier, video cassette recorder and microwave oven. Several conclusions are derived from the cases. The main actors involved in the breakthrough technologies change considerably in the course of time, and so do the customer segments and user applications. Usually, niche markets emerge first that diverge considerably from the mass market applications that emerge later. In our cases, pioneers of breakthrough technologies never create a mass market. After the pioneer, multiple entrants adopt a similar strategy but many of them have to leave the market later. Only a small number of them survives, either by consistently adopting a niche market strategy or by creating a mass market

Keywords: breakthrough technology, breakthrough innovation, strategy, innovation strategy

JEL Classification: O32, M13, L1