Conceptual framework for an integrated development of products and services

This paper aims at identifying innovation patterns in product-service systems. After in-depth studies of innovation in purely product or service-related organizations, recent years show increasing convergence of the two extremes of the continuum between products and services and the upcoming of product-services systems. This is not only driven by customer demand for solutions rather than for products, but also by an increased standardization of services and new technologies - mainly information and communication technologies (ICT) which leverage the service particularities. However there are still distinctive differences between innovation in products or services. This paper aims at identifying differences and commonalities in innovation of products and services and in developing a conceptual framework for an integrated development of products and services. The research is conducted along the project ProSecCo - Product-Service Co-Design funded by the European Commission in the Growth program.