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

Christian Kowalkowski, Victoria Kramer, Sertan Eravci, Anna Salonen, Wolfgang Ulaga (2025) Selling and sales management for successful servitization: A systematic review and research agenda Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Christian Kowalkowski, Victoria Kramer, Sertan Eravci, Anna Salonen, Wolfgang Ulaga (2025) Selling and sales management for successful servitization: a systematic review and research agenda Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management (Article, review/survey) Continue to DOI
Alexey Sklyar, David Sörhammar, Christian Kowalkowski, Bård Tronvoll (2025) Digital service orientation: unlocking servitization in service operations and service sales International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 45, p. 117-139 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Tanvir Ahmed, Christian Kowalkowski (2025) The new industry playbook: digital service innovation in multi-platform ecosystems Journal of Enterprise Information Management (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Brenda Nansubuga, Christian Kowalkowski, Hugo Guyader (2025) Service experience in the access economy: managing experiences in mobility services Handbook of Service Experience, p. 362-378 (Chapter in book) Continue to DOI

Researchers

PhD students

Our Division and Department