Reinventing product-service systems: the case of Singapore

Purpose This paper aims to discuss a foresight study conducted in Singapore's national R&D agency to help science and technology decision makers identify key capability areas of R&D investment to support the manufacturing industry's growth in the country and the region. Design/methodology/approach Using horizon scanning, scenario analysis and expert opinion, nine capabilities are identified as core areas to be developed to support the country's future growth of product-service systems. Findings The results of a Delphi survey involving 30 industry and academic thought leaders recommend priorities of these capabilities. This paper concludes with a discussion of the study implications for theory, research and practice in the domain of servitisation and product-service systems. Social implications The results of this study have practical implications for policymakers of public and private sectors that are interested in playing a key role in future product-service system innovation. These have implications for developing the human and intellectual capital that are required for supporting the future innovation. Institutes of higher learning and vocational institutes should also consider incorporating new curricula and modules to build the capabilities for knowledge creation and transfer. Originality/value The findings of the present study on strategic growth areas and relevant critical capabilities provide new directions for research in the field of servitisation. Among the nine capabilities identified, the top three were advanced customer intelligence capability, socio-physical service quality, traceability and maintainability and integrated strategic decision-making. From the results, it is apparent that advanced customer intelligence capability is both an area of importance to Singapore and the world.