Digital age business model innovation for sustainability in University Industry Collaboration Model

Abstract

This study aims to investigate a digitalization-related business model as a result from the university-SME collaboration. The SME of the case study (Preventos Informatics Ltd) specializes in water distribution systems in industrial scale, telemetry, and sensor data-based monitoring of the water distribution. The business model of the company is a result of an innovation process during 2016-2017. The SME was established 2018. This study examines the commercialization process’s success factors and compares the original business model to the finally implemented one after two years. The study reviews the current literature of sustainable business models and digitalization and reflects the results from this study. Based on the results, by quantifying the sustainability, environmental aspects and digitalization, value added can be brought to the business model. Our study suggests that by adding more digitalization, sensor technologies, and dataanalysis, quantifying the real value of innovations is possible.