Promoting Agility in Entrepreneurial Innovation

A competence platform for small and medium-sized enterprises

JournalIndustrie 4.0 Management
Issue Volume 39, 2023, Edition 6, Pages 27-31
Open Accesshttps://doi.org/10.30844/IM_23-6_27-31
Bibliography Share Cite Download

Abstract

Companies with traditional working and manufacturing structures face the challenge of progressive digitalization and internationalization. In order to adapt, many companies aim to develop digital and agile working skills and competences. This paper describes the conception of a digital platform to promote agility in innovation of small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) in structurally weak regions and to contribute to their innovativeness and future viability.

Keywords

Article


Bibliography

[1] Guertler, M. R.; Sick, N: Exploring the enabling effects of project management for SMEs in adopting open innovation – A framework for partner search and selection in open innovation projects. In: International Journal of Project Management 39 (2021) 2, S. 102-114.
[2] Blank, S.: Why the Lean Start-Up Changes Everything. In: Harvard Business Review 91 (2013) 5, S. 63-72.
[3] Chesbrough, H.: Open Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating and Profiting from Technology. Boston 2003.
[4] Enkel, E.; Gassmann, O.: Neue Ideenquellen erschließen – Die Chancen von Open Innovation. In: Marketing Review St. Gallen 26 (2009) 2 , S. 6-11.
[5] Furr, N.; Dyer, J.: Choose the right innovation method at the right time. In: Harvard Business Review 12 (2014).
[6] Liedtke, C.; Welfens, M. J.; Rohn, H.; Nordmann, J.: LIVING LAB: user-driven innovation for sustainability. In: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education 13 (2012) 2, S. 106-118.
[7] Geibler, J. v.; Erdmann, L.; Liedtke, C.; Rohn, H.; Stabe, M.: Living Labs für nachhaltige Entwicklung: Potenziale einer Forschungsinfrastruktur zur Nutzerintegration in der Entwicklung von Produkten und Dienstleistungen. In: Wuppertal Institut (Hrsg): Wuppertal Spezial 47 (2013).
[8] Geibler, J. v.; Erdmann, L.; Dönitz, E.; Stadler, K.; Zern, R.: Roadmap Living Labs für eine Green Economy 2030. Kurzfassung. Wuppertal Institut und Fraunhofer-Institut für System- und Innovationsforschung. Wuppertal Karlsruhe 2018.
[9] Baedeker, C.; Piwowar, J.; Themann, P.; Grinewitschus, V.; Krisemendt, B. u. a.: Interactive Design to Encourage Energy Efficiency in Offices: Developing and Testing a User-Centered Building Management System Based on a Living Lab Approach. In: Sustainability 12 (2020) 17, 6956, S. 3f.
[10] Schuurman, D.; Leminen, S.: Living Labs Past Achievements, Current Developments, and Future Trajectories. In: Sustainability 13 (2021) 19, 10703, S. 4.
[11] Brown, T.: Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation. New York 2009.
[12] Hasso-Plattner-Institut: Was ist Design Thinking? Die sechs Schritte im Design Thinking Innovationsprozess. URL: www.hpi.de/school-of-design-thinking/design-thinking/hintergrund/design-thinking-prozess.html, Abrufdatum 10.07.2023.
[13] Rawolle, M.; Kehr, H. M.: Lust auf Zukunft: Die motivierende Kraft von Unternehmensvisionen verstehen und nutzen. In: Organisationsentwicklung 4 (2012), S. 12-17.
[14] Broman, G. I.; Robèrt, K. H.: A framework for strategic sustainable development. In: Journal of Cleaner Production 140 (2017). S. 17–31. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.10.121.
[15] Curley, M.; Salmelin, B: The Evolution of Innovation. In: Open Innovation 2.0. Innovation, Technology, and Knowledge Management 2018.
[16] Piwowar, J.; Geibler, J. v.; Theben, L.: Organisationale Transformation: Steigerung der Innovationsfähigkeit und Nachhaltigkeitsorientierung mittels agiler, digitaler Arbeits- und Organisationsgestaltung. In: Wuppertal Institut (Hrsg): Arbeitsdokument im Arbeitspaket 2 (AS 2.1) des AgilOLab Projekt. Wuppertal 2022. URL: www.agilolab.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Kurzstudie-Organisationale-Transformation.pdf, Abrufdatum 21.05.2023.
[17] Bass, B. M.: Two Decades of Research and Development in Transformational Leadership. In: European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology 8 (1999) 1, S. 9-32. URL: doi.org/10.1080/135943299398410, Abrufdatum 17.07.2023.
[18] Zuraik, A.; Kelly, L.: The role of CEO transformational leadership and innovation climate in exploration and exploitation. In: European Journal of Innovation Management 22 (2019) 1, S. 84-104.
[19] Laloux, F.: Reinventing organizations: Ein Leitfaden zur Gestaltung sinnstiftender Formen der Zusammenarbeit. München 2015.
[20] Davies, M.: The Danish Design Ladder. URL: www.mrmattdavies.me/post/the-danish-design-ladder, Abrufdatum 17.07.2023.
[21] Pernice, K.; Gibbons, S.; Moran, K.; Whitenton, K.: The 6 Levels of UX Maturity. URL: www.nngroup.com/articles/ux-maturity-model/, Abrufdatum 10.07.2023.
[22] Piwowar, J.; Geibler, J. v.; Theben, L.: Ergebnisse des Visions-Workshops: Arbeitsdokument im Arbeitspaket 2 (AS 2.1) des AgilOLab Projekts. Wuppertal Institut. Wuppertal 2022. URL: www.agilolab.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Ergebnisbericht_VisionsWorkshop.pdf, Abrufdatum 13.07.2023.
[23] Fröhlich, P.; Meidrodt, F.; Wasielewski, I.; Diestel, S.: Ergebnisse der Design-Thinking Workshops: Arbeitspapier im Arbeitspaket 1 (AS 1.3) des AgilOLab Projekts. Bergische Universität Wuppertal. Wuppertal 2022. URL: www.agilolab.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/DesignThinkingWorkshop-Ergebnisdokumentation.pdf, Abrufdatum 21.06.2023.
[24] Mayring, P.: Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse. In: Mey, G.; Mruck, K. (Hrsg): Handbuch Qualitative Forschung in der Psychologie. Wiesbaden 2020. URL: doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-26887-9_52, Abrufdatum 17.07.2023.
[25] Mey, G.; Mruck, K.: Qualitative Interviews. In: Mey, G.; Mruck, K. (Hrsg): Handbuch Qualitative Forschung in der Psychologie. Wiesbaden 2020. URL: doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-26887-9_33, Abrufdatum 17.07.2023.
[26] Vogl, S.: Gruppendiskussion. In: Handbuch Methoden der empirischen Sozialforschung (S. 581-586). Wiesbaden 2014. URL: doi.org/10.1007/978-3-531-18939-0_41, Abrufdatum 17.07.2023.
[27] Piwowar, J.; Geibler, J. v.; Theben, L.: Ergebnisse des Co-Creation-Workshops: Arbeitspapier im Arbeitspaket 2 (AS 2.3) des AgilOLab Projekts. Wuppertal Institut. Wuppertal 2022. URL: www.agilolab.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Ergebnisbericht_CoCreationWorkshop.pdf, Abrufdatum 13.07.2023.
[28] Krieg, A.: Reifegradmodell für agile Unternehmensentwicklung (Agile Maturity Model). Bonn 2016.
[29] Mühlfelder, M.; Bullinger, S.; Klein, U.; Müller, M.: Reif für Agilität? Ist Ihre Organisation reif genug für die Anwendung agiler Projektmanagement Methoden. In: Organisationsentwicklung 37 (2018) 2, S. 78-85
[30] Wendler, R.: Development of the organizational agility maturity model. In: 2014 federated conference on computer science and information systems, S. 1197-1206.
[31] Hossain, M.; Leminen, S.; Westerlund, M.: A systematic review of living lab literature. Journal of Cleaner Production 213 (2019), 976-988.
[32] Geibler, J. v.; Erdmann, L.; Liedtke, C.; Rohn, H.; Stabe, M.; Berner, S.; Leismann, K.; Schnalzer K.; Kennedy, K.: Exploring the potential of a German Living Lab research infrastructure for the development of low resource products and services (2014). Resources 3:575-598.

Your downloads


Potentials: Business Models Innovation

You might also be interested in

MAKI—A Digital Assistant for Practice-Based Learning

MAKI—A Digital Assistant for Practice-Based Learning

Why every factory is a learning factory
Olaf Resch ORCID Icon
With the help of digital assistants, academic teaching is possible in any factory. In order to achieve the best learning effects, however, the interests of all stakeholders must be taken into account. The factory wishes to deploy its employees quickly and productively, the learners desire a positive learning experience, and the educators want to illustrate abstract concepts in a meaningful and practical way. The only way to combine all of these perspectives is via a well-thought-out educational concept and highly functioning technology.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 42 | 2026 | Edition 2 | Pages 70-77
Serious Gaming and the Energy Transition

Serious Gaming and the Energy Transition

Collaborative knowledge generation and interactive understanding of complex interrelationships
Janine Gondolf ORCID Icon, Gert Mehlmann, Jörn Hartung, Bernd Schweinshaut, Anne Bauer
Conveying the complexity and multifaceted nature of the energy transition to a broad audience is a challenge. This article demonstrates how interactive serious games on a multitouch table can help make connections tangible and comprehensible. The games and the table were used in various conversational contexts. These are presented here in three case vignettes based on participant observation of the different applications, as well as situated and shared reflection. The vignettes demonstrate how interaction can trigger epistemic processes, enable shifts in perspective, and foster collective thinking, all of which are necessary for shaping the future of society as a whole.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 42 | 2026 | Edition 2 | Pages 62-69
Industrial Transformation via a Machining Learning Factory

Industrial Transformation via a Machining Learning Factory

A learning module to foster competencies for a sustainability-driven transformation
Oskay Ozen ORCID Icon, Victoria Breidling ORCID Icon, Stefan Seyfried ORCID Icon, Matthias Weigold
Sustainability-enhancing transformation processes are necessary in all sectors if we are to remain within planetary boundaries. This also applies to the industrial sector as a significant emitter of greenhouse gases. Employees need new competencies to master this complex task of industrial transformation. These range from CO2 equivalents accounting to the development and evaluation of transformation scenarios, including technical measures. The learning module developed here addresses these competency requirements and uses the example of the ETA factory to show how a competency-oriented learning module for industrial transformation can be structured. It essentially comprises four phases: data collection and CO2 equivalents accounting, cause analysis, development of measures and evaluation of measures.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 42 | Edition 2 | Pages 38-47 | DOI 10.30844/I4SE.26.2.38
Data Quality and Domain Expertise for Resilient AI Deployment

Data Quality and Domain Expertise for Resilient AI Deployment

Integrating anomaly and label error detection in industry
Pavlos Rath-Manakidis, Henry Huick, Erdi Ünal, Björn Krämer ORCID Icon, Laurenz Wiskott ORCID Icon
AI implementation transforms work and worker-technology relationships in industrial quality control. This paper explores how approaches to data quality and model transparency support ethical AI deployment, fostering worker agency, trust, and sustainable work design in automatic surface inspection systems (ASIS). Recurring problems like data inefficiency, variable model confidence, and limited AI expertise point to key challenges of human-centered AI: user trust, agency and responsible data management. A solution co-developed with an ASIS supplier demonstrates that the challenges extend beyond the purely technical, underscoring the value of AI design that augments human capabilities. Technical solutions such as anomaly, label error, and domain drift detection are proposed to enhance data quality and model reliability. The insights emphasize the following generalizable strategies for resilient AI integration: understanding user-reported problems through a human-AI interaction lens, ...
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 42 | Edition 1 | Pages 128-135 | DOI 10.30844/I4SE.26.1.120
Digital Competence Lab (DCL) for Speech Therapy

Digital Competence Lab (DCL) for Speech Therapy

Designing a learning platform to advance digital skills
Anika Thurmann ORCID Icon, Antonia Weirich ORCID Icon, Kerstin Bilda, Fiona Dörr ORCID Icon, Lars Tönges ORCID Icon
The digital transformation of healthcare results in lasting changes in speech therapy. Smart technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) are creating new opportunities to ensure therapy quality, address care bottlenecks, and actively involve patients in exercise processes. At the same time, these developments are expanding the role of speech therapists, who increasingly use digital systems as supportive tools in addition to their core therapeutic tasks. Based on a feasibility study of the AI-supported application ISi-Speech-Sprechen in a real-world setting of complex Parkinson's therapy (PKT), this article outlines the key challenges associated with implementing smart technologies.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 42 | 2026 | Edition 1 | Pages 110-118 | DOI 10.30844/I4SE.26.1.102
AI Skills for Responsible Use

AI Skills for Responsible Use

Realistic learning environments, critical thinking, and role design in teams
Valentin Langholf ORCID Icon, Niklas Obermann ORCID Icon, Uta Wilkens ORCID Icon, Marco Kuhnke, Michael Prüfer
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the world of work. But how can work teams learn to use AI support in a way that delivers speed advantages and ensures consistently high quality? One possible approach is to test it in a workplace-like simulation. Trying it out under realistic conditions shows the role that critical thinking plays.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 42 | Edition 1 | Pages 100-107 | DOI 10.30844/I4SE.26.1.92