This paper argues that the consequences of the ‘fragmentation’ of the European patent system are more dramatic than the mere prohibitive costs of maintaining a patent in force in many jurisdictions. First, detailed analysis of judicial systems in several European countries and four case...

While sustainability issues increasingly gain importance for new product design, they also further complicate the NPD process. In many cases it is hard to exactly measure the socio-environmental impact of new products, and sustainability targets may conflict with other ones. Innovators can aim...

Lightweight design is regarded as a technological approach to engineer products in a more energy and material efficient- and, therefore, resource-saving way. In this sense, high-tech multi-materials, also referred to as composites, have become very popular for many decades due to their...