Joost Wouters

Joost Wouters is an Assistant Professor with the Innovation Technology Entrepreneurship & Marketing research group at the Department of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). He has been affiliated with TU/e since 1992, initially joining as a lecturer in marketing and later obtaining his PhD in 2000 with a thesis titled 'Customer service as a competitive marketing instrument: an industrial supply chain perspective'. His academic journey began with studies in Mechanical Engineering at Fontys University of Applied Engineering and Economic Psychology at Tilburg University, where he earned his MSc in 1987.

Wouters' research focuses on understanding and improving new business and product development processes within firms, organizations, and institutions in high-tech contexts. His work spans marketing, innovation, technology entrepreneurship, and customer relationship management, with particular emphasis on business-to-business marketing, service strategy, and technology acceptance. His research integrates theoretical frameworks with practical applications in industrial settings, examining how organizations can leverage customer service as a competitive instrument and how innovations diffuse through supply chains.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals consistent themes in technology adoption, innovation commercialization, and customer relationship management. His work frequently examines how new technologies are accepted by consumers and organizations, with studies on mobile telecommunication services, telemedicine, and self-service technologies. He has made significant contributions to understanding how reference customers influence new product launches and how customer service strategies can be optimized in business-to-business contexts. His research methodology often employs empirical studies, case analyses, and experimental designs to examine service quality, customer evaluations, and marketing communications effectiveness.

Wouters has taught various courses including Entrepreneurial Marketing, Methodology for IE Research, Servitization and Customer Experience, Marketing and Innovation, New Product Marketing, and Entrepreneurship in Action. His research group focuses on understanding and improving new business and product development processes within firms in high-tech contexts, contributing significantly to both academic literature and practical business applications in marketing and innovation management.