Examining the relationship between advanced manufacturing technology adoption and innovation

This study examines the adoption process of advanced manufacturing
technologies (AMTs) and their relationship to different innovation types. Whilst the literature on AMT adoption is well established, there is a lack of studies examining the relationship between the AMT adoption process and innovation types as outcomes of this process. Our findings provide several contributions to the AMT literature. Firstly, we uncovered that manufacturers typically consider three main sub-stages during the evaluation stage of the adoption process. Secondly, through a qualitative method we describe the nature of barriers and enablers and their relevance to each adoption stage. Thirdly, we uncover the collaborative nature of the AMT adoption process where adopter firms may be involved in relationships with ecosystems of technology providers and other actors, suggesting the need to further examine these relationships. Lastly, we describe the differences of the AMT adoption process by the enabled innovation types and overall project outcomes