Barriers to the Upgrade Cycle in a Commodity Process Industry: Evidence from the UK Packaging Industry

Abstract

Attempting to move away from commodity based products into higher value added ones remains one of the key challenges for R&D Managers. This paper explores these challenges with evidence from a case study with a UK packaging manufacturer. The paper contributes to Lager (2000) and Lager & Blanco’s (2010) model of the product degradation-upgrade cycle. The paper presents the findings of a longitudinal three-year research project with one of the largest packaging manufacturers in Europe. Five barriers facing R&D are identified when attempting to move away from commodity products.