An alignment approach for an industry in the making: DIGINOVA and the case of digital fabrication

Digital fabrication is an example of an industry in the making, as its value chains are not aligned, technical standards are in development, and markets are unclear. Alignment is necessary before business models can be employed and value creation can ensue, which is why DIGINOVA (a European consortium of parties interested in digital fabrication) took up the challenge of creating the strategic intelligence needed to power such alignment. This paper reports on this process. First, it outlines the need for alignment intelligence with reference to the underpinning dynamics of alignment in emerging industries; it then describes the technological scope of digital fabrication and the approach taken by DIGINOVA to produce such alignment intelligence and the outcome of this process in detail. It concludes with reflections on how this approach can be generalized beyond digital fabrication.