The electric future: Unravelling how automakers collaborate with suppliers to co-develop electric, hybrid, & hydrogen fuel cell technologies | Original Thinking Podcast

Original Thinking Podcast

Our Original Thinking Podcast series showcases some of the world-leading research from colleagues at Alliance MBS.

This event is hosted by Antony Potter, Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management at Alliance MBS.

The electric future: Unravelling how automakers collaborate with suppliers to co-develop electric, hybrid, & hydrogen fuel cell technologies

Over the past ten years automakers have invested heavily in the development of new electric, hybrid, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Although a large amount of attention has been given to the policy implications of this paradigm shift in the automotive industry, comparatively little research has studied how automakers work collaboratively with their suppliers to co-develop these eco-innovations.

Using patent data from the Toyota supply network together with econometric techniques and endogeneity analysis Antony will investigate how the automaker co-develops innovations with different suppliers. His findings unravel the unique way in which the automaker collaborates with external suppliers to develop buyer-supplier innovations, supplier-supplier innovations, supplier innovation triads, and inter-firm knowledge spillovers. Finally, he will discuss the managerial and policy implications of his findings considering the transition to net zero in the automotive industry.

Professor Antony Potter is the Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management at the Alliance Manchester Business School (University of Manchester). His research interests focus on Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, and Innovation & NPD. In particular, his research investigates how different operations and SCM practices enable firms to co-develop innovations within global supply networks, especially for electric, hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles. In addition, he undertakes interdisciplinary research into supply chain risk management, supplier disruptions, lean manufacturing (the Toyota Production System), and the evolution of clusters and supply networks.

His published articles have appeared in leading international journals including the Journal of Operations Management (a Financial Times top 50 journal), Research Policy (a Financial Times top 50 journal), Journal of Product Innovation Management (Grade 4 journal, ABS list), International Journal of Operations and Production Management (Grade 4 journal, ABS list), Journal of Economic Geography (Grade 4 journal, ABS list), International Journal of Production Economics (Grade 3 journal, ABS list), Regional Studies (Grade 3 journal, ABS list), Production Planning & Control (Grade 3, ABS List), Journal of Cleaner Production, and Trends in Food Science and Technology.

He has won a number of international awards for his research, such as the Emerald Literati Award for Excellence: Highly Commended Award (2020), Runner up for IJOPM’s 2019 Best Paper Award, the Chris Voss Highly Commended Award (EUROMA, 2013), Chris Voss Best Paper Award (EUROMA, 2012), and the Chan Hahn Best Paper Award Finalist (Academy of Management, 2012). In addition, he won the 2019 Runner Up Prize for the 'Teacher of the Year Award' and the 2022 ‘Researcher of the Year Award’ at Alliance Manchester Business School.

The event is facilitated by Joao Quariguasi Frota Net, Professor in Operations Management at Alliance MBS.