Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book analyzes insights from innovation research and reveals the relevance of users in innovation processes. It explores the literature on user integration to discover factors supporting and hindering the integration of users in product development processes. The book describes various methods of user integration in innovation processes. It reviews the research methodology, consisting of interviews and observations of the company–consumer interaction, and presents the analytical framework. The book draws on both the theoretical background and the managerial implications for companies engaging in user integration. It analyzes when and how consumers can actively contribute to the development of sustainable product innovations. The book contributes to the field by looking at organisational learning processes resulting from user integration in the development of sustainable products.