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This paper establishes a criteria-based evaluation model to better understand frugal innovations and the reasons they are either successful or unsuccessful in developed markets. The three criteria for frugal innovation introduced by Weyrauch (2018) form the basis for the evaluation model. In order to analyze products and services while also including user-related factors, certain dimensions and tools were combined with the criteria set defined by Weyrauch, which resulted in the presented evaluation model. Furthermore, this study acknowledges that frugal innovation in developed markets differs from frugal innovation in developing markets, especially concerning usability, quality, and price difference. Therefore, the term “second-degree frugal innovation” is introduced to refer to frugal innovation in developed markets. Three different case studies are analyzed with the adapted evaluation model. The results show that the success and/or failure of frugal innovations, as well as the definition of frugal innovation itself, is highly dependent on the market in which it is launched. This paper can also benefit practitioners as it provides tools such as value analysis to optimize the use of the evaluation model and it contributes to the existing knowledge in the area of frugal products and services in general.

The purpose of this paper is to examine biopharma innovation ecosystems (IEs) through the lenses of a stakeholder model. In doing so, this work aims to answer the following research question: which stakeholders are required in an IE within biopharma industry and what are their main roles in the IE value creation. The research strategy was designed according to the grounded theory methodology. By applying this methodology, data were collected through verbatim interviews with several stakeholders. Both data collection and data analysis phases were carried out concurrently up to saturation where all data were identified and their consistency across the many forms was reached. The thesis of the paper intends to prove that biopharma IEs consist of a multilevel and longitudinal set of key stakeholders. Furthermore, by investigating the Lombardy case study, it explains the role of each stakeholder with regards to the comparative advantages required in the engagement with the IE. In addition, arising from a holistic view of the biopharma IEs, this research traces the biopharma IE dynamics through the analysis of the IE’s driving forces. This paper represents one of the first heuristic attempts to analyze in-depth biopharma IE from a holistic perspective. The paper findings can be considered to be an impactful extension to biopharma IEs world-wide. This broader scope is well supported by expert interviews as a central part of the methodology and by the investigated scientific literature.