This is a hybrid event, available to watch online or in person. In an era defined by economic challenges, environmental imperatives, and rapid technological changes, conventional product-focused business models are no longer sufficient to address the complexities of today’s industrial landscape. To thrive and become sustainable, both financially and operationally, businesses must go beyond products and production, shifting their focus towards what customers and consumers truly value and want. Servitization—the transformation of industrial firms to compete through services rather than products alone—has emerged as a powerful strategy for creating value beyond the factory gate. By offering products-as-a-service and generating recurring revenues tied to customer outcomes, servitization provides a pathway to enhanced customer intimacy, productivity and resource efficiency, delivering both economic and environmental benefits.
In this inaugural lecture, Professor Ali Bigdeli will delve into the power of servitization to redefine business models for the 21st century. Drawing on cutting-edge research and real-world examples, he will explore how this paradigm shift is being adopted across diverse industries—from large multinationals like Goodyear offering tyre-as-a-service to SMEs supporting the NHS through disinfection-as-a-service during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lecture will also address the significant organisational, technological, and cultural changes required to embrace servitization, as well as the strategic trade-offs and external impacts often overlooked in existing research.
