3D virtual environments to support new product development: A mobile platform based on an open innovation laboratory applied in higher education

Abstract

Nowadays, it is observed that native digital students demand the use of innovative learning methods, as well as the use of specialized technological equipment that can positively influence their professional training, but at the same time it is observed that there is still a deficit not only in the commitment and interest of students to learn, but also to relate how they can apply the knowledge obtained by proposing solutions to real problems. This paper proposes a mobile platform based on 3D virtual environments to support new product development (NPD) as an alternative to address these issues in the Higher Education sector. This mobile platform is an interactive and learning management system that is used to efficiently gather and manage the tangible/intangible resources necessary in an Open Innovation process for the development of new products in which the co-creation and co-development take place. Therefore, an Open Innovation Laboratory applied in higher education was used as a reference. A case study is presented to demonstrate how the proposed platform can be applied in the higher education context.