Product Lifecycle Management and Open Innovation in the Deep Tech Start-Ups Development

Abstract

Deep tech start-ups are enterprises established on cutting-edge and radical technologies based on scientific discoveries (deep technologies), like advanced manufacturing and robotics, blockchain, agrotech and artificial intelligence. They start in university laboratories without a specific application and evolve from fundamental research to commercial application slower than start-ups based on off-line to on-line business model. With the increasing information exchange, complexity, and uncertainty among actors of innovation ecosystems and the world scientific community, it is required an approach that aims beyond the product development, covering the product lifecycle and understand the information flow among innovation ecosystem actors, i.e., how open innovation works across the boundaries of deep tech start-ups. This work performs a systematic literature review and proposes a conceptual model to understand how Product Lifecycle Management and Open Innovation support deep-tech start-ups in their development, seeking to encourage innovation ecosystems and members of the academic community towards the application of their research into disruptive solutions to complex issues.