Title: Innovative capacity maintenance by automakers in a product development outsourcing scenario: the case of VW in Brazil

Authors: Adriana Marotti De Mello, Roberto Marx

Addresses: Escola Politecnica da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Professor Almeida Prado, Trav.2, n. 128, CEP 05508-900, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. ' Escola Politecnica da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Professor Almeida Prado, Trav.2, n. 128, CEP 05508-900, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil

Abstract: This paper attempts to discuss how automotive firms could benefit from New Product Development outsourcing, without hollowing out their knowledge base, analysing which variables would have significant impact on maintenance of firm Innovative Capacity. A multiple cases study was conducted about the development of new vehicles in Brazil. The main conclusion suggests that Brazilian automakers are, so far, with current industry and product architecture structure, being able to maintain their Innovative Capacity even with initiatives of outsourcing NPD and also showed the contribution of each one of the variables found in literature and empiric research.

Keywords: innovation; capacity maintenance; new product development; automotive NPD; automobile industry; outsourcing; Volkswagen; Brazil; innovative capacity.

DOI: 10.1504/IJATM.2007.014975

International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, 2007 Vol.7 No.2/3, pp.200 - 215

Published online: 29 Aug 2007 *

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