Overview
Firstly, by using By Maria online tools, footwear designers can have their designs produced in short, high-quality, hand-crafted runs. Secondly, consumers can acquire bespoke designer footwear that addresses the specific needs of their feet at a price that is transparent. Finally, Columbian shoemakers receive a larger portion of the selling price, which allows them to improve living standards for themselves and their families. The project also aims at the training and equipping of these self-employed footwear makers, thereby empowering them to improve their own lives.
"By Maria" seeks for providing how service innovation with regards to the supply chain integration of the stakeholders, can promote sustainability within the footwear industry.
Along with the secondary stakeholders (material suppliers, logistics suppliers, government institutions in Colombia, private institutions in Switzerland) lay a solution down base on service innovation as a source of competitive differentiation, toward the connection and integration of the principal stakeholders: designers, final customers, and shoemakers.
Establish the effectiveness of "By Maria" supply chain as the sum of interdependent transactions based on services regarding to the integration and connectivity that add value to the stakeholders.
Analyse "By Maria" impact regarding to the role of service innovation within the supply chain, and how these are drivers to foster sustainability as promoter of auto regenerative systems in the footwear industry.
This projekct was awarded the Excellence Prize of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences in 2016. Since spring 2017, it has been supported by the BRIDGE program to implement its research. This funding program, which was conceived jointly by the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Commission for Innovation and Technology, was awarded for the first time in 2017 in order to develop outstanding master theses for business maturity.