Startups represent an impressive driving force of innovation in every sector, included logistics. Therefore, the aim of the thesis is twofold: on the one hand, to analyse the startup-driven innovation in the logistics industry; on the other hand, to explore how incumbent players relate to them to carry on projects of innovation. The starting point was building a database containing 319 startups, by integrating different secondary sources enriched with interviews; as a result, four main categories are identified, that are: “new logistics players”, “logistics platforms”, “software developers” e “hardware developers”. Following, six logistics service providers were selected to conduct an exploratory case study, aimed at offering a broader perspective on the behaviour of the incumbents towards startups. The use of semi-structured interviews, supported with secondary sources, led to the formulation of some hypotheses related to: the relationship development with startups, the concept of ambidexterity, whenever the relationship involved two business models; the type of innovation coming out from the relationship itself. In particular, the incumbent’s business area and the organizational structure are identified as drivers for the development of a relationship with a startup. Related to the ambidexterity, the level of integration of the existing and the novel BMs is linked to the degree of complementarity of the two. Finally, based on the distinction between incremental and discontinuous innovation by Garcia & Calantone (2002), the research has established a connection between the type of incumbent-startup relationship and the type of innovation. Specifically, a low-intensity relationship is linked to an incremental innovation, while a high-intensity relationship is associated to a discontinuous innovation.Startups represent an impressive driving force of innovation in every sector, included logistics. Therefore, the aim of the thesis is twofold: on the one hand, to analyse the startup-driven innovation in the logistics industry; on the other hand, to explore how incumbent players relate to them to carry on projects of innovation. The starting point was building a database containing 319 startups, by integrating different secondary sources enriched with interviews; as a result, four main categories are identified, that are: “new logistics players”, “logistics platforms”, “software developers” e “hardware developers”. Following, six logistics service providers were selected to conduct an exploratory case study, aimed at offering a broader perspective on the behaviour of the incumbents towards startups. The use of semi-structured interviews, supported with secondary sources, led to the formulation of some hypotheses related to: the relationship development with startups, the concept of ambidexterity, whenever the relationship involved two business models; the type of innovation coming out from the relationship itself. In particular, the incumbent’s business area and the organizational structure are identified as drivers for the development of a relationship with a startup. Related to the ambidexterity, the level of integration of the existing and the novel BMs is linked to the degree of complementarity of the two. Finally, based on the distinction between incremental and discontinuous innovation by Garcia & Calantone (2002), the research has established a connection between the type of incumbent-startup relationship and the type of innovation. Specifically, a low-intensity relationship is linked to an incremental innovation, while a high-intensity relationship is associated to a discontinuous innovation.
Le startup rappresentano una sostanziale spinta innovativa per tutti i settori, compresa la logistica. Pertanto, il seguente lavoro di tesi nasce per indagare in due direzioni precise: da una parte, si prefigge come primo focus l’analisi dell’innovazione portata avanti dalle startup in ambito logistico; dall’altra, esplora come i player consolidati si relazionino ad esse per condurre progetti di innovazione. La base di partenza di questo lavoro è stata la costruzione di un database contenente 319 startup, integrando diverse fonti secondarie arricchite da interviste, successivamente divise in quattro grandi categorie: “new logistics players”, “logistics platforms”, “software developers” e “hardware developers”. In seguito, sei fornitori di servizi logistici sono stati oggetto di un case study esplorativo, con lo scopo di offrire una prospettiva più ampia sul comportamento degli operatori consolidati nei confronti delle startup. L’utilizzo di interviste semi-strutturate, supportate da fonti secondarie, ha portato alla formulazione di alcune ipotesi relative a: la modalità di sviluppo della relazione con le startup; al concetto di ambidexterity, qualora la relazione presupponesse l’affiancamento di un altro business model a quello esistente; al tipo di innovazione derivante dalla relazione stessa. In particolare, l’area di business e la struttura organizzativa degli operatori sono stati identificati come fattori driver della modalità di sviluppo di una relazione con una startup. Relativamente all’ambidexterity, il livello di integrazione tra il business model nuovo e quello esistente è collegato al grado di complementarietà dei due BM. Infine, partendo dalla distinzione tra innovazione incrementale e discontinua proposta da Garcia e Calantone (2002), la ricerca svolta ha stabilito una connessione tra il tipo di relazione tra operatore e startup e tipo di innovazione. Nello specifico, una relazione di bassa intensità si associa ad un’innovazione incrementale, mentre una relazione di alta intensità si collega ad un’innovazione discontinua.
Innovation in the logistics industry : a classification of startups and a study on incumbent reactions
Di LUCIA, FEDERICO
2017/2018
Abstract
Startups represent an impressive driving force of innovation in every sector, included logistics. Therefore, the aim of the thesis is twofold: on the one hand, to analyse the startup-driven innovation in the logistics industry; on the other hand, to explore how incumbent players relate to them to carry on projects of innovation. The starting point was building a database containing 319 startups, by integrating different secondary sources enriched with interviews; as a result, four main categories are identified, that are: “new logistics players”, “logistics platforms”, “software developers” e “hardware developers”. Following, six logistics service providers were selected to conduct an exploratory case study, aimed at offering a broader perspective on the behaviour of the incumbents towards startups. The use of semi-structured interviews, supported with secondary sources, led to the formulation of some hypotheses related to: the relationship development with startups, the concept of ambidexterity, whenever the relationship involved two business models; the type of innovation coming out from the relationship itself. In particular, the incumbent’s business area and the organizational structure are identified as drivers for the development of a relationship with a startup. Related to the ambidexterity, the level of integration of the existing and the novel BMs is linked to the degree of complementarity of the two. Finally, based on the distinction between incremental and discontinuous innovation by Garcia & Calantone (2002), the research has established a connection between the type of incumbent-startup relationship and the type of innovation. Specifically, a low-intensity relationship is linked to an incremental innovation, while a high-intensity relationship is associated to a discontinuous innovation.Startups represent an impressive driving force of innovation in every sector, included logistics. Therefore, the aim of the thesis is twofold: on the one hand, to analyse the startup-driven innovation in the logistics industry; on the other hand, to explore how incumbent players relate to them to carry on projects of innovation. The starting point was building a database containing 319 startups, by integrating different secondary sources enriched with interviews; as a result, four main categories are identified, that are: “new logistics players”, “logistics platforms”, “software developers” e “hardware developers”. Following, six logistics service providers were selected to conduct an exploratory case study, aimed at offering a broader perspective on the behaviour of the incumbents towards startups. The use of semi-structured interviews, supported with secondary sources, led to the formulation of some hypotheses related to: the relationship development with startups, the concept of ambidexterity, whenever the relationship involved two business models; the type of innovation coming out from the relationship itself. In particular, the incumbent’s business area and the organizational structure are identified as drivers for the development of a relationship with a startup. Related to the ambidexterity, the level of integration of the existing and the novel BMs is linked to the degree of complementarity of the two. Finally, based on the distinction between incremental and discontinuous innovation by Garcia & Calantone (2002), the research has established a connection between the type of incumbent-startup relationship and the type of innovation. Specifically, a low-intensity relationship is linked to an incremental innovation, while a high-intensity relationship is associated to a discontinuous innovation.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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2018_10_Di Lucia.pdf
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Descrizione: Testo della tesi
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/142461