Purpose: Increased digitalization has influenced various business activities including companies’ business models (BMs) by enabling various new forms of cooperation between companies and leading to new product and service offerings as well as new forms of company relationships with customers and employees. At the same time, this digitalization has put pressure on companies to reflect on their current strategy and explore new business opportunities systematically and at early stages. While research on digitalization in the context of BMs is now gaining increased attention, a research gap still exists in this field since the number of empirical insights is limited. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative empirical data collected from 12 key informants working in two distinctive industries, the media and automotive industries, were collected. An investigation was carried out to examine the differences and similarities among how digitalization influences a company’s value creation, proposition and capture, as well as how firms cope with challenges presented by increased digitalization.Findings: The findings of the study show that, whilst digitalization is generally considered to be important, the value proposition itself as also the position in the value network determine the perceived available options for business model innovation (BMI) by digitalization. Moreover, the organizational capacities and employee competences were identified as future challenges that will be faced by both industries.Originality/value: The findings of this study have revealed that representatives of the media and automotive industries perceive both the pressures and opportunities of digitalization regarding BMI; its application and exploitation, however, remain challenging. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by providing empirical insights in the context of digitalization and BMI.

The goal of carrying out this work was to identify potential application areas for augmented reality (AR) in pilot education by addressing gender preferences. Like the field of engineering, the aviation industry is dominated by men. Because the aviation industry forecasts a high demand for pilots, it is highly desirable to address gender diversity and improve teaching methods in pilot education. In this study, potential application areas for AR-supported pilot training were investigated by conducting a survey with 60 pilots and flight instructors (including 12 women). Typical AR use cases were presented in videos, and the pilots reported their preferences regarding similar or other AR applications used in different parts of the flight training program. AR navigation was the use case that was most frequently preferred by both female and male pilots. The majority of pilots agreed that AR could potentially be used in theoretical instruction, pre-flight aircraft inspection, and procedure training. In addition, both gender groups showed similar preferences for various gaming concepts that make learning more interesting and engaging, such as receiving positive feedback. However, a higher percentage of women than men reported that achieving a target or receiving points to successfully finish a task and answering questions during the game were satisfying. Including a story in the game to attract attention was preferred by a higher percentage of men than women. The results of this study can be used to design AR educational concepts that support gender diversity in pilot education and other technical domains.

Near-eye display devices (such as Google Glass) may improve the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical care by giving clinicians information (such as the patient's vital signs) continuously within their field of vision during various procedures. We describe the use of Glass during a radiological intervention in three patients. Other possible applications (including tele-mentoring and the supervision of trainees) are discussed and a classification proposed. An app was developed to facilitate the use of Glass, so vital physical signs (pulse and blood pressure) could be projected on the near-eye display, via an intranet to protect sensitive data. The device was then used during radiological interventions (percutaneous transluminal angioplasty) in three patients, and assessed by the interventionalists who were interviewed before and after each procedure. The interventionalists reported that Google Glass improved concentration on the task in hand by reducing head and neck movements (which would be needed to view several remote monitors). However, heat generation by the device and low battery capacity are shortcomings for which solutions must be developed, and data protection is mandatory. Google Glass may have a number of clinical applications and can quicken interventions where vital signs or other visual data need to be monitored by the operator.

This study explored novel mixed reality (MR) use cases for pilot training using a mix of methods rooted in the general innovation theory of dynamic capabilities. The aim was to identify areas of improvement for various aspects of the flight training based on MR, in a socially and economically sustainable manner. Multiple surveys and workshops have been conducted with flight instructors, administrative staff, pilots and student pilots. The main result of this study is a systematic identification of the three most promising MR use cases: interactive theory training, cockpit procedure, and outside check training. These results are important because they inform the development of technical didactic tools for pilot training. The applicability of MR technologies to accommodate diverse user needs and preferences is addressed, while also considering aspects of economical sustainability.

For flying all types of turbine-engine airplanes, a pilot must undergo an intense type rating (TR) course. This study investigated the learning conditions and TR course content, and specifies the most difficult course elements that could be tackled by augmented reality (AR) applications. Because women are underrepresented in the worldwide pilot population, it is important to address gender-specific preferences and needs in the development of AR-based wearable technologies for advanced pilot training. A gender-sensitive survey of the learning conditions and course contents was conducted with 31 pilots and 22 instructors. Despite many similarities, the results confirm that there are gender-specific needs and preferences for the development of future AR-based applications for TR training. In addition, the views of both pilots’ and instructors’ are required to obtain a comprehensive assessment of the learning contents and conditions related to TR. The results also show that time pressure increased the perceived difficulty of the course for some trainees. These results are important because they indicate the directions to be taken in developing future AR-based training applications for a more learner-centered and inclusive TR training. Future directions to foster a socially sustainable development of AR-based training means for TR with special focus on gender diversity are presented.