Research Projects

July 2022 - Jun 2025
Funder: ESRC

Understanding how servitization can impact UK economic productivity and environmental performance

Total value: £1,849,277

This programme will establish evidence on how servitization impacts both economic productivity and environmental performance (i.e., net-zero and the green economy), and use these insights to influence industrial policy and practice in the UK. It will explain whether, when, and how to encourage the adoption of servitization to maximise the economic and societal impact. The programme will begin by (i) developing a strong theoretical foundation based on prior research on business model innovation and value networks, then (ii) engage in theory building through collaborations with a range of industrial partners that are adopting servitization. These insights will (iii) enable econometric models to quantify impacts on productivity and environmental performances, and through experimentations with these (iv) identify a range of scenarios to maximise the benefits to the UK. Visit project website: www.servitization.ac.uk

Aug 2020 - Jun 2022
Funder: InnovateUK

Digital Servitization Demonstrator
From Sensor to Service to Business Success

Total value: £1,692,640

An InnovateUK grant to develop a Digital Servitization Demonstrator around Baxi Heating to help them deliver ‘Heat as a Service’. The Demonstrator will combine advanced services and digital servitization technologies, including sensors, software and other technologies to create a digital model of Baxi's manufacturing and service business. The digital model will be converted to a neutral digital platform with the potential to be used as a wider, all-industry adaptable Servitization model. The model is envisaged to enable a range of manufacturers to use digital technologies to manage contracts, supply chains, customer contacts and all aspects of their business.

Apr 2019 - Sep 2021
Funder: InnovateUK

Next Generation Rice Processing

Total value: £2,067,000

An InnovateUK project that focused on (i) a "Smart rice milling Chamber" with novel, thermo-detection and vibration technologies to control & maintain an optimum milling environment and increased head rice yield by 10%; (ii) an AI driven digital software platform to interpret data analytics in the Smart Chamber to inform real time intuitive process decisions - i.e. temperature control, milling plate adjustments, husk separation & process speed ; (iii) A business strategy to include: an optimum business model for China, technology dissemination to the Chinese milling industry; a skill/training model; and UK/global academic dissemination plan.

Oct 2018 - Dec 2022
Funder: EPSRC

Digitally Enhanced Advanced Services
From sensor to service

Total value: £1,116,751

This £1.1m EPSRC-funded NetworkPlus is bringing together a vibrant community that will position the UK as the internationally leading research hub for Digitally Enhanced Advanced Services (DEAS). Rather than focus on the product or service that is delivered, DEAS focus on how the product or service is used. This is a major change in how firms earn money and is being enabled by transformative digital technologies that allows for example, payment per use or availability or outcome. The impact of these changes can be seen in firm productivity. The traditional focus of productivity (outputs/inputs) is on internal efficiency. However, digital technologies can also transform the value of the output (payment for use, availability or outcome). The project's vision is that the UK should be the internationally leading research and practice hub for the innovation of DEAS. To support this ambition the EPSRC award will be used to create a network of businesses and researchers to enable a coordinated programme of research to be designed and piloted. Over £600k of this funding will be cascaded to researchers across the communities of business, computer science and human factors, to stimulate their engagement in these pilots.

Jan 2018 - Jan 2021
Funder: ESRC

Pathways towards Servitization
A trans-national study of Organisational Transformation towards Servitization

Total value: £205,262

An ESRC funded project with the primary aim of developing organisational transformation pathways that manufacturers can follow to efficiently and effectively innovate their organisations through servitization, and compete through advanced services. The following research questions were addressed: (i) What stages might an organisation expect to go through as it progresses towards servitization? (ii) What are the principal factors and forces that affect progression through these stages? (iii) How do these stages and forces interplay as a model to demonstrate pathways towards servitization?

Feb 2013 - Jan 2018
Funder: EPSRC

Transforming the adoption of Product-Service Systems through innovations in applied gaming technology
Development of Applied Game Technologies to Transform the Servitization of Mainstream Manufacturing

Total value: £1,522,601

An EPSRC funded project in partnership with the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) of Sheffield University. The project focused on developing applied game technologies to transform the servitization of mainstream manufacturing companies.