Competing with Networks: A Case study on the 3D Printer

This paper aims at describing how firms can engage intermediaries to benefit from the
surrounding network in order to increase competitiveness. Competitiveness is intended as delivering superior quality products, beating the competitors and making a surplus. Firms are involved in changing environments, and they need to react by acting on their design and innovation processes. Recent literature has argued that it can be achieved by involving the users in the innovative processes, such as communities for new product development, open-source communities, suggesting their involvement as a consequence of the changes in business ecosystems. The paper will analyse, with an in-depth case study, the changes in the competitive environment in the technology intense sector, 3D printers. The sector was chosen because users are demonstrated with faster and more effective ways to exchange knowledge
and with increased possibilities to access communities with respect to the past. The paper discusses how the presence of strong networks allowed the development and maintenance of competitive technology, by studying: 1) how the community starts, 2) why users join the community and 3) how firms can be competitive by adopting a network approach. The particularity of the 3D printing communities is the consistent presence of diversified users, including initiators, sponsors, entrepreneurs and technology experts. Explaining and building different interactions are one of the possible explanations for why the process that such an innovation was adopted, adapted to local needs and became competitive.