Title: Substitute products in the automotive steel sheets market according to sustainable innovations in technology

Authors: Kyung-Hee Jung

Addresses: POSCO Research Institute, 147 Samsungdong, POSRI Bldg., Kangnamku, Seoul 135-090, Korea

Abstract: Steel is one of the most consumed materials in the automotive industry, and as such the steel industry has played an important role in the supply chain management of automakers. This study considers various substitutes for steel products in the automotive body sheets market according to sustainable innovations in technology. It emphasises the importance of steel mill relationship management with the technology management of automakers, in order to link market needs with technology development. Product replacement according to a revolution of technology is considered by using advanced technologies such as high strength steel and tailor welded blanking, and the development of value-added automotive steel products with their market behaviours is studied based on three models of product life-cycle, adoption-diffusion and technology applications spectrum.

Keywords: steel substitutes; steel industry; automotive body sheets; technology innovation; automakers; market; relationship management; technology management; automobile industry; product replacement.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPD.2004.004889

International Journal of Product Development, 2004 Vol.1 No.1, pp.30 - 42

Published online: 14 Jul 2004 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article