A business framework for international commercialization of innovative construction products

For too long, the construction industry, its organizations and its products have been limited to borders. This book is about broadening the scope of construction organizations and products- how local commercialization and development of innovation translates across international markets. It presents a framework that describes significant areas of the innovation decision process. To develop the framework, the authors examined six subjects related to international commercialization: 1. Previously developed local and international commercialization models 2. Barriers to commercialization 3. Critical stakeholders, actions, and decisions 4. Characteristics of innovations that are suitable for international use 5. Characteristics of foreign markets that are ideal for adopting such innovations 6. Strategies to overcome these barriers. Based on these six subject areas, the authors present literature review on international innovation commercialization and then test the framework using a case-based approach of one structural product, Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs). SIPs has been successfully developed and implemented in the United States and is being considered for commercial use in Saudi Arabia. The SIPs product is particularly appropriate because of its innovative nature and influence on the structure of residential buildings.

1. Introduction -- Scope and context: a case study -- Recent commercialization trends in construction -- Research goal -- Methodology -- Study significance -- Book structure --

2. International innovation -- Introduction -- Globalization models -- Drivers to globalization -- Barriers to globalization -- Globalization methods --

3. Innovation commercialization in residential construction -- Residential construction characteristics -- Industry context -- Market context -- Supply chain -- Risk tolerance -- Commercialization in residential construction -- Barriers to commercialization -- Characteristics affecting international commercialization -- Barriers to international commercialization -- Commercialization models --

4. A case study of commercialization for structural insulated panels -- Innovative products: SIPs -- Commercialization of SIPs -- Barriers to SIP commercialization -- Needs and offers matching: the United States as innovation home market -- Needs and offers matching: Saudi Arabia as innovation host market --

5. Initial framework development and analysis -- Barriers to international commercialization in residential construction -- Integrative framework -- BPMN modeling language -- Literature-based framework -- Initial framework assessment -- Literature findings -- Background of business terminology and modeling language -- Background of variables related to international commercialization -- Methodology -- Participants -- Survey design -- Data collection procedure -- Findings on survey instrument reliability -- Business terminology and modeling language used -- Variables related to international commercialization -- Summary and conclusion --

6. Perceived barriers to international commercialization -- Survey design -- Data collection procedure -- Findings -- Organizational characteristics -- Findings specific to the research questions -- Analysis -- Organizational characteristics -- Research-specific analysis -- Summary and conclusion -- Market-based strategies for international commercialization --

7. Actual barriers to international commercialization -- Participants -- Interview design -- Data collection procedure -- Findings -- Analysis -- Summary and conclusion --

8. A new business framework for international commercialization -- A new framework -- Stage 1: needs and offer matching -- Stage 2: stakeholder networking -- Stage 3: feasibility study -- Stage 4: actual execution -- Framework validation -- Theoretical implications -- Limitations -- Further research --