Production paradigms ontology (PPO): A response to the need of managing knowledge in high-tech manufacturing

Innovation issues require knowledge management to support the innovation process towards the new industrial goals. The Mass Customization and the High Value Added products & processes paradigms constitute the target of the most important innovation initiatives. These two manufacturing paradigms have been deeply analyzed in relation to both Technology and Market & Society, driving forces of the industrial innovation. The research object is to develop a topdown ontology approach - the Production Paradigms Ontology (PPO) - to enable Knowledge Management to support the innovation process towards Mass Customization and HVA products and processes for competitiveness and sustainability of industry. This paper consists of three parts concerning the Production Paradigm Ontology approach, the macro-categories and three study cases. PPO approach implies relevant elements that are the Time Horizon, the Driving Forces Technology and Society & Market, the Enabling Factors of the Innovation process life-cycle (design, implementation, use and reconfiguration) and the Infrastructure Level. The macro-categories describe real entities. The three study cases, analyzed through the three phases of the innovation process (implementation, use and reconfiguration), show how PPO could support knowledge management in the innovation process that each organization is carrying on to respond to turbulent and competitive markets.