Vehicles for innovation and learning: The case of a neglected concept car project

Journal article, 2007

In the competitive automotive industry product development processes are increasingly structured, leaving little room for learning and hence developing the knowledge needed for creating the innovative new products that are essential in order for automotive companies to remain competitive in the long run. Previous studies underline the importance of explicitly managing innovation and knowledge creation in order to successfully develop innovative products. It is our contention that the concept car constitutes an important arena for learning and creating useful knowledge in the automotive industry. This paper presents a detailed analysis of a concept car project at Volvo Cars (the YCC project), tracing how it was used from a learning perspective. Based on this longitudinal study, this paper argues that there is a need to manage more explicitly the learning opportunities provided by concept car projects in order to leverage on the knowledge created. It also discusses some of the barriers to learning that are illustrated by the case study. Finally the paper suggests further research directed towards innovative activities, such as concept cars in order to better understand the nature of their interface with established NPD processes. © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.