Capacity optimization of an innovating firm

Verena Hagspiel*, Peter M. Kort, Claudia Nunes, Rita Pimentel, Kristian Store

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

Abstract

This article considers an incumbent's product innovation decision within an uncertain framework, where the firm decides whether to continue selling the established product. The model being dynamic allows to analyze the trade-off between an early innovation where the new product only slightly improves the existing one, or innovating late with a much better new product. We find that the effect of uncertainty is that it raises the value of the strategy where the firm keeps on producing the old product after innovating. This results in earlier investment if the firm stays active on the established product market after adopting the new product, and that it keeps on producing the established product for a longer time after the product innovation. Limited uncertainty could lead to a non-monotonicity: with a better new product it is not optimal to innovate, whereas innovating is optimal with a worse one.
Original languageEnglish
Article number108021
JournalInternational Journal of Production Economics
Volume233
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2021

Keywords

  • Innovation
  • Product portfolio
  • Investment under uncertainty
  • Dynamic programming

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