Abstract
Wisdom of the crowds, Technological capabilities and Functional alignment, which when recognised and utilised in innovation processes, can unlock the ability to source, develop and commercialise ideas at rapid pace. The phenomenon is known as technological convergence. By definition, technological convergence is described as the process by which Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) converge towards new and more unified markets. This convergence often leverages the three dimensions of innovation – economic, technical and functional. On the economic side, the focus of a focal firm is on maximising profits with minimal costs under resource constraints brought about in-part by liberalisation of markets. In this regard, open innovation which involves harnessing wisdom of the crowds at the fuzzy front-end of the innovation process has increasingly been promoted as a pragmatic mechanism for accessing widely distributed knowledge (Thanasopon, Papdopoulos & Vidgen, 2016), in large firms (Brunswicker & Chesbrough, 2018) and SMEs (Vanhaverbeke, Frattini, Roijakkers & Usman, 2018). On the technical side, the main driver has been the rise of enabling technologies, at times revolutioning social behaviour but mostly brought about through incremental shifts in technical abilities. Finally, convergence is realised through functional alignment, characterised by integration of computational, behaviour and communication factors in a unique value-proposition delivered through new product or new service (Canals, Torres & Borés, 2001). The growing prominence of technological convergence means firms can no longer afford to work in silos or rely on proprietory waterfall solutions to achieve competitive advantage and influence societal progress. Here, we build on our July 2018 editorial which emphasised the cumulative importance of management research and management practice working together for societal progress. W-T-F is offered here as the fundamental trilogy that both managers and researchers need to address to survive and thrive in an increasingly digitised and globally-connected world. (...)

Abstract
Innovation is a journey that is full of challenges. It is demanding, but we need to keep inspirational aspects in mind, such as the ones President Kennedy expressed in his predestinated “sticky” (Heath and Heath, 2007) speech in 1962 about sending a man to the moon. Since the seminal works of Schumpeter (1934), innovation has been widely acknowledged as a key driver of competitiveness, economic growth and welfare. There is a wealth of empirical evidence supporting a positive relationship between innovation and firm-level performance in the academic literature (e.g. Crépon et al., 1998; Griffith et al., 2006; Lööf and Heshmati, 2002). At firm level, innovation has long been recognized as a competitive advantage and a key driver of economic performance (Schumpeter, 1934). Innovation also lies at the very heart of policy mechanisms to achieve a smart, inclusive and sustainable growth in economies, as envisioned by the Europe 2020 strategy (European Commission, 2013).(...)

Abstract
The expansion of human knowledge in all areas is largely the outcome of the activity of academic institutions and the result of their mission to contribute to the cultural, intellectual and economic development of the society, involving education, research and university extension activities. For many years, the academic community has been organizing itself in all different ways to respond to current and future needs, ensuring research integrity and recognition, and building on successive generations of peers to validate and support the launching and development of novel research streams. We owe the current state of research and development of our society to generations of scholars and scientists that have brought all of us here.(...)

Abstract
The research presented in this paper proposes a novel quantitative model for decomposing and assessing the Value for the Customer. The proposed approach builds on the different dimensions of the Value Network analysis proposed by Verna Allee having as background the concept of Value for the Customer proposed by Woodall. In this context, the Value for the Customer is modelled as a relationship established between the exchanged deliverables and a combination of tangible and intangible assets projected into their endogenous or exogenous dimensions. The Value Network Analysis of the deliverables exchange enables an in-depth understanding of this frontier and the implicit modelling of co-creation scenarios. The proposed Conceptual Model for Decomposing Value for the Customer combines several concepts: from the marketing area we have the concept of Value for the Customer; from the area of intellectual capital the concept of Value Network Analysis; from the collaborative networks area we have the perspective of the enterprise life cycle and the endogenous and exogenous perspectives; at last, the proposed model is supported by a mathematical formal description that stems from the area of Multi-Criteria Decision Making. The whole concept is illustrated in the context of a case study of an enterprise in the footwear industry (Pontechem). The merits of this approach seem evident from the contact with Pontechem as it provides a structured approach for the enterprises to assess the adequacy of their value proposition to the client/customer needs and how these relate to their endogenous and/or exogenous tangible or intangible assets. The proposed model, as a tool, may therefore be a useful instrument in supporting the commercialisation of new products and/or services.

Abstract
Product differentiation and the ability to compete in today’s demanding markets are biggest drivers of innovation. Innovation can be seen as new knowledge incorporated into products and services and in the process of new knowledge creation, organizations may not be autonomous. To overcome this issue, organizations opened their innovation processes aiming to acquire external knowledge by collaborating with several socio-economic agents (clients, partners, suppliers, universities, etc.). Several strategies and Web 2.0 based software tools were developed or adopted, aiming to include these agents in the initial stage of the innovation process. However, these tools may not be very effective in knowledge systematization – a mandatory requirement to facilitate knowledge transfer and internalization. This paper presents a method for the systematization of knowledge co-created in the process of new concepts development, in the context of user innovation. The method builds on extended conceptual maps collaboratively created and structured following the standard XTM.

Abstract
In this paper we describe de application of a modeling framework, the so-called Conceptual Model Decomposing Value for the Customer (CMDVC), in a Footwear Industry case study, to ascertain the usefulness of this approach. The value networks were used to identify the participants, both tangible and intangible deliverables/endogenous and exogenous assets, and the analysis of their interactions as the indication for an adequate value proposition. The quantitative model of benefits and sacrifices, using the Fuzzy AHP method, enables the discussion of how the CMDVC can be applied and used in the enterprise environment and provided new relevant relations between perceived benefits (PBs).