Centre for Business Model Innovation (CBMI)

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The Centre for Business Model Innovation (CBMI) is a research and knowledge centre dedicated to understanding how companies can create sustained competitive advantage through innovative business models. Our research focuses on value creation and capture for individual companies, industrial ecosystems, and society at large.

CBMI’s research is at the forefront of international research and is conducted in close collaboration with both business and public organisations.

Business model innovation is a key strategy for businesses to stay competitive in today’s dynamic market environment. It involves addressing the customer value proposition and the processes of value creation and value capture.

Graph in blue green colours showing that Business model Innovation contains, Value Proposition, Value Creation and Value Capture

  • The Value Proposition is a promise of resource integration and alignment that offers a superior value package to targeted stakeholders.
  • Value Creation is the process of increasing value generation.
  • Value Capture is the process of securing returns from the value created and distributing those returns among the participating actors.

Business model innovation is about more than just designing new processes. It’s about ensuring these processes are adaptable, aligned, and can work across organisational boundaries. It involves a shared commitment to creating value and ensuring its fair distribution. In essence, it’s not just about what we create, but how we create and share it. This holistic approach is what sets successful businesses apart.

Research is primarily carried out across three research tracks:

  • Servitization, customer solutions, and service business models
  • Proactive market strategies
  • Value chain sustainability

For any questions, please contact the director of the centre, Professor Christian Kowalkowski, or any of the senior researchers responsible for the research tracks.

Stay updated with our latest activities and publications by following CMBI on LinkedIn.

Research tracks

Recent publications

2025

Leeya Hendricks, Paul Matthyssens, Christian Kowalkowski (2025) The Co-evolution of actor engagement and value Co-creation on digital platforms International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 279, Article 109467 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI

2024

Marco Paiola, Roberto Grandinetti, Christian Kowalkowski, Mario Rapaccini (2024) Digital servitization strategies and business model innovation: The role of knowledge-intensive business services Journal of engineering and technology management, Vol. 74, Article 101846 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Suvi Nenonen, Kaj Storbacka, Alexey Sklyar, Hans Kjellberg (2024) Identifying effective market-shaping strategies: A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis approach Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 123, p. 12-30 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Brenda Nansubuga, Christian Kowalkowski (2024) Moving to subscriptions: service growth through business model innovation in consumer and business markets Journal of Service Management, Vol. 35, p. 185-215 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Lisa Lundin, Daniel Kindström (2024) Managing digitalized touchpoints in B2B customer journeys Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 121, p. 88-99 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI

Researchers

PhD students

Our Division and Department