ҳ

02 September 2025

As products become increasingly similar and competition intensifies, companies need to think in new ways. At a lecture at ҳ on 2 September, Professor Christian Kowalkowski explained how services and digital platforms are becoming more important for the business models of the future.

A man presenting to an audience, engaging the crowd with his speech and visual aids. Photographer: Teiksma Buseva

Christian Kowalkowski, based at the Department of Management and Engineering (IEI), has spent more than 20 years researching so-called servitization – the process by which manufacturing companies move from selling physical products to offering advanced services and complete solutions.

“To create value, it is no longer enough to just deliver a product. It is when the product is used, in the customer’s everyday life, that value is created,” he explained.

He highlighted examples such as Apple, where an increasing share of revenues comes from services rather than hardware, and Michelin, which has shifted from selling tyres to offering complete fleet management solutions. Digitalisation and sustainability requirements are also driving this development. Sensors, connected products and AI make it possible to analyse usage data and provide tailored services, while circular solutions can extend product lifetimes.

Christian Kowalkowski emphasised that servitization is not without its challenges. Companies may encounter obstacles related to organisation, responsibility, and data sharing. But he also stressed that the potential is significant for companies that succeed.

“The future winners will be those who can orchestrate systems of products, services and digital platforms. It’s about building long-term relationships with customers and creating new value together,” he said.

The lecture was part of the seminar series “Just around the corner” in Studenthuset at Campus Valla and was also livestreamed. .

Contact

Read more about the research

Latest news from LiU

En grupp människor som sitter vid ett bord framför en folkmassa.

Participants in UN climate meetings want greater focus on implementation

UN climate negotiations are often criticised for moving too slowly. A new study published in Nature Climate Change examines what changes government delegates and other participants at the COP29 UN climate conference would like to see.

Neil Lagali vid utrustning för att undersöka ögonen.

Eye problems after COVID-19 can now be explained

Mild COVID-19 can cause severe and long-lasting eye problems, according to a study from LiU. The study also explains why it has been difficult for sufferers to get help: the abnormal eye behaviour cannot be detected by standard methods.

A woman kneeling down in a garden picking plants.

When soil becomes data – how digitalisation affects knowledge of soil health

How do we know whether soil is healthy? A new study from ҳ shows that as knowledge about soil is increasingly translated into digital data, important insights about its biological life and local context risk being overlooked.