International competition and innovation strategies for high-end sports equipment: the case of Olympic rowing boats

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to give an insight into the rowing world from an economic perspective, offering a new point of view into the sports equipment industry. The study identifies how the rowing boat manufacturers are competing in the global market, and it investigates which impact the technological innovations had on the market and which will be the future challenges for the rowing boat manufacturers. This research aims at answering one main question: "How are rowing boat manufacturers applying innovation strategies to compete in the international arena?". To support this question, other three sub-questions have been addressed: "What strategies are the rowing boat manufacturers adopting internationally and why?"; “What are the main technological innovations in Olympic rowing boats and how are they impacting the market?” and “How are Olympic rowing boat manufacturers facing the challenges of innovation progress and of the global market?". The findings identify that the companies in this market have a common centralized organisational structure, that enables the boat manufacturers to maintain the control over their core business and on the innovations generated. The technology innovations affected remarkably the market and the firms in it and nowadays, the leading firms of the market are those who are pursuing sustaining innovation strategy. An unexpected finding of this research is the opposite opinion that customers and manufacturers have concerning the Chinese threat in the future of the rowing boat market. The first believe that the Chinese cannot reach the technological and qualitative status of the European manufacturers. On the other hand, the latter are impressed by the latest progress made by them and they are frightened of the future steps they might be able to take.