Digitalization in New Product Development: Use of Embedded Systems for Sustainable Production (DiNEP)

Currently, 40-80% of newly launched products fail on the market, depending on the product category. The failure is often due to the first-time use. The decisive factor here is the interaction with the product and the deviation from the previous behavior pattern. However, this is only apparent after the physical test phase. Previous attempts to integrate the handling behavior of the user inside into the product development process only take place after prototype production. However, at this point, ecological and economic resources are already being used, which limits the scope for action and allows only minor adjustments. In addition, the prototypes can only be tested by a limited number of potential users, which limits the subsequent generalizability of the results to market success.

DiNEP aims to integrate the physical testing phase into the early stages of product development through the use of digitization. Products are used in digital space (e.g., Metaverse) and embedded systems are used to capture subconscious decision-making processes (biofeedback) during initial use. This will eliminate conscious bias in survey responses (social desirability biases). As a product, a technically valid infrastructure and statistical model will be developed to enable continued research.