High-tech firms seeking an innovative approach to compete and grow made the first steps in taking their business in new directions at a special workshop.

Manufacturing and engineering companies based in Cumbria and Lancashire joined Lancaster University Management School’s (LUMS) first Servitization Bootcamp.

Participants spent the day exploring how they can shift from a product-focused to a service-oriented business model that emphasises delivering customer outcomes.

This is essential to combat the commoditisation of the UK manufacturing sector, fostering innovation and efficiency gains necessary to tackle productivity and decarbonisation challenges.

The session was led by Dr Parikshit Naik, from The Advanced Services Group, and hosted by Professor Andreas Schroeder and Dr Quynh Do, from LUMS.

“This was an interactive and insightful deep dive into servitization,” said Professor Schroeder. “Many product-focused businesses possess knowledge and expertise that extends far beyond their core offerings.

“They have valuable insights into maintaining their products and optimising their performance. However, they can struggle to effectively offer their expertise to customers.

“While innovating services can be more complex than innovating products, it is crucial for product-focused businesses to develop capabilities in service innovation to ensure their future competitiveness.”

The Servitization Bootcamp, built upon LUMS academic research, provided 10 firms from across the region with a strong foundation for their servitization journey. It helped them envision their future high-value service portfolio and equipped them with the methods to achieve it, enhance competitiveness and drive business transformation.

“Through the bootcamp, we dove into the strategies and best practices companies can apply to expand their business models, use their expertise beyond core products, and create greater customer value,” added Professor Schroeder. “Getting the foundations right is crucial for systematic business model innovation and transformation.

“The participants are all at different stages of their servitization journey. Through the workshop, they were able to share experiences and challenges, assess what they had already achieved and what lies ahead.

“It was a day filled with insights, collaboration, and real-world impact – and it was just the beginning.”

The Servitization Bootcamp received Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) funding, designed to help academics translate research into real-world impact. It was supported by Advanced Services Group, a global leader in helping businesses navigate their servitization journeys.

Further Lancaster University bootcamps are planned. For more information, contact Professor Andreas Schroeder via email to andreas.schroeder@lancaster.ac.uk