Companies do usually not develop highly complex products incorporating extensive product structures on their own. Interoperation beyond the company‟s borders widens the scope of innovation to innovation networks consisting of various companies and experts aiming at innovative products. Especially customers meet these products in various applications to fulfill their needs. Integration of proper participants in new product development (NPD) furthers the generation of really innovative conceptual designs, products, and services by incorporating specific knowledge and/ or experience. The authors propose several approaches to reveal innovation networks by deriving participants and relations systematically. This framework will be applied to analysis an explorative study comprising 40 innovation projects. NPD process, product, and extended product application set the starting points to condense innovation networks systematically. Case studies illustrate the suggested approaches and demonstrate how awareness about innovation networks facilitates innovation.     «

Companies do usually not develop highly complex products incorporating extensive product structures on their own. Interoperation beyond the company‟s borders widens the scope of innovation to innovation networks consisting of various companies and experts aiming at innovative products. Especially customers meet these products in various applications to fulfill their needs. Integration of proper participants in new product development (NPD) furthers the generation of really innovative conceptual...     »