Commercializing Covid-19 diagnostic technologies: A review of challenges, success factors, and insights from the profiting from innovation framework

Abstract

Evidence shows that only a few newly developed diagnostic technologies to control and mitigate the recent health crisis- Covid-19 pandemic, have been successfully commercialized. Building on this, we review systematically the literature on the challenging and success factors of the commercialization of Covid-19 diagnostic technologies. In so doing, we draw on the six components of the Profiting From Innovation (PFI) framework, introduced by Teece (1986, 2006, 2018), including networking, supply chain, competitive manufacturing, services, appropriability regimes, and complementary technology, to provide major insights into technology commercialization challenges and success factors for Covid-19 diagnosis technologies. Also, the inductive approach is used to extract other challenges that were not addressed by the PFI framework. Our review makes significant theoretical contributions to innovation management (PFI framework) and crisis management research, and also draws policy implications. We also provide useful directions for future research.