Business Models in the Commercialization Processes of Innovation Among Small High-Technology Firms

Small technology firms are currently facing increasingly severe competition in a dynamic business environment where an effective commercialization process may secure the survival of a venture and provide key benefits such as increases in turnover, profits and market share. However, technology firms have to be able to create the suitable business model for a new product commercialization in order to realize the economical potential and value. Therefore, it is important to increase our knowledge about the utilized business models in high technology sectors and their role as a part of new product commercialization and innovation management. Using data from 12 small technology firms, this study shows that business model creates an operational level of commercialization process and it can help managers to plan the value delivery through the process phases. Despite the trend toward opening up research and development and commercialization processes in the high technology fields, small high technology firms in this study seems to pursue more closed approaches to R&D than in other business functions such as marketing and sales.