Exploring the Role of the Customer in the Fuzzy Front End of Innovation

The early stages of development for new advanced technologies are notoriously difficult to navigate and manage effectively in such a way that leads to successful commercial application. This paper explores how the use of flexible and exploratory frameworks based in customer engagement can provide valuable insights into how advanced technologies can be developed to solve validated market problems. The paper reflects on the challenges faced and lessons taken from our practical experience using this approach to develop advanced technologies emerging from within Victoria University of Wellington.