"The main objective of the thesis is to explore the important challenge that fashion companies are facing today: how to implement digital transformation and how open innovation can help to achieve it." This is how Verónica Arribas, from ISEM Fashion Business School, who has defended the doctoral thesis entitled "The Role of open innovation for the digital transformation of the fashion industry", defines the purpose of her research.

Arribas noted that "due to the novelty of the topic and the scarce literature on the issue," he conducted an inductive type of research in which a theoretical framework was constructed divided into three areas: open innovation, digital transformation and fashion industry. 

Two case studies

In addition, the new PhD was based on a real-life experience of collaboration between a high fashion firm and a 3D software vendor to conduct empirical research. The researcher argued that both "have been exploring for several years the digital transformation of fashion through different innovation projects thanks to the use of 3D digital technology."

Finally, Arribas expressed his wish that "the results of this thesis can be considered as a starting point for future research in the area of open innovation and digital transformation in the fashion industry".  

PhD in Applied Creativity 

Verónica Arribas has a degree in Industrial Engineering from Tecnun, School of Engineering of the University of Navarra, and an Executive Master's Degree in Fashion Business Management from ISEM Fashion Business School. Her doctoral thesis was supervised by José Antonio Alfaro from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Navarra. 

The defense tribunal was composed of Elena Gutiérrez, Paula Wachenfeldt, Emilio Llopis, María José Álvarez and Mar Alonso, who awarded an outstanding grade.

This research is part of the PhD program in Applied Creativity, promoted by the School of Architecture, the School of Communication, ISEM Fashion Business School and the University of Navarra Museum, which aims to promote the study and establishment of creative processes in industries and institutions that require this competence for their activity.