Market Oriented Product Innovation

Market-Oriented Product Innovation differs from most other titles, written either from a marketing or technical perspective, by giving a holistic view of the product innovation process. It has a product perspective, written from a managerial point of view, recognizing that product innovation, or new product development, is a discipline of its own. It is concerned with managing the products (goods and services) through their life cycle, integrating marketing knowledge and technological expertise, with the aim of getting satisfied customers. The book also gives a thorough treatment of the human and cultural aspects of product innovation by focusing on the change processes needed for the development of a market-oriented culture. The book has practical focus and relevance, due to the professional background of the author, Knut Holt, who has established the field of Technology Management at the Norwegian Institute of Science and Technology and is the founder of ISPIM, the International Society for Professional Innovation Management. By linking deep theoretical knowledge with extensive practical experience, the book provides an excellent foundation, whether used as support to courses or for self-studies. The learning is facilitated by about 200 cases and examples from leading companies throughout the world. A unique feature of the book is its dual capacity to serve both as an introductory text, supported by teacher and student manuals, and as a base for advanced studies with more than four hundred references, mainly based on selected key management books and publications from recognized researchers. Each research publication comprises extensive literature reviews and summaries of the latest advances.

About the Author :
Knut Holt is Professor Emeritus of Technology Management at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. He holds a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Norwegian Institute of Technology and has conducted postgraduate studies in Industrial Management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. He has been Visiting Professor at Syracuse University; Erasmus University Rotterdam; the International Institute for the Management of Technology, Milan; Waseda University, Tokyo; and the Institute for Advanced Studies, Vienna, Austria. Further he has had assignments from a variety of organisations including Alfa-Laval and Volvo-Penta, Sweden; Valmet Oy, Finland; Danfoss, Denmark; Battelle Institut, Germany; TNO Holland; Bekaert SA, Belgium; OECD, France; IFAP and PRAXIS Management, Italy; The Ford Foundation and IBM, USA; Sony, Japan; and the Hong Kong Productivity Institute, Hong Kong. Throughout a long academic career he has given numerous seminars and lectured extensively in Europe, Japan, and the United States.

Review :
"This book is comprehensive, goes into concrete details, describes special tools an is easy to read." (Professor Dr Horst Geschka, Technical University Darmstadt and President, Geschka & Partner Consulting)"Based on Professor Holt's research and his academic and consultancy skills, the resultant book benefits from his experiences in, and knowledge of, many countries. It merits a place on all managers' bookshelves, filling a niche hitherto overlooked, by being written from a product viewpoint. The book also deserves to feature in University courses - graduate and postgraduate." (George Hayward, Editor-in-Chief, TECHNOVATION)"The book offers an unusual perspective in combining two peculiar areas of knowledge (market orientation and technology innovation) in the light of needs assessment. It is a happy mix of a systematic and scientific approach reviewed and tested through a long life consultant experience." (Professor Ferdinando Chiaromonte, Director of Studio Chiaromonte, Past President ISPIM)