Product Management

The mission of the Center for Product Management is to advance research into current topics in product management and make these insights accessible to industry partners.
We support organisations of all sizes through applied research projects, the professional development of product managers, and the strategic advancement of product management within their organisations.

How Can We Support You with Your Projects?

Smart Product Management

Modern product management is smart product management. We help organisations take their product management capabilities to the next level by supporting projects in the following areas:

• Assessing the potential of emerging technologies
• Innovating digital products, services, and business models
• Advancing ideas from concept to product-market fit using startup science
• Designing digital platforms and ecosystems
• Supporting sustainable and green product management

Examples of Our Projects

• Technology Affordances of the Industrial Metaverse
• Development of a Smart Connected Product System for the Industrial Piping Business
• Product Market Fit Boost - Peace of Mind for Your Innovation Idea
• Digital Certificates for Luxury Goods: From Product to Ecosystem
• Ampliphi – The Plastic Action & Circular Economy Platform

Transformation to Sustainable Business Models

The transition from a linear to a circular economy is a major challenge for many organisations. We help you identify opportunities for action and develop strategies that enable sustainable and profitable business. To achieve this, we combine modern product management expertise with the requirements of circular business models, drawing on insights from applied research projects and academic studies. Benefit from our expertise to identify stakeholder barriers and enablers and transform your business model towards a circular economy.

Examples of our successful projects:

• Competitive Advantage through Science Based Targets – Innosuisse Innovation Cheque project with Accelerate Green (ongoing)
• How Can FoodSave Hubs Be Operated Profitably? – Innosuisse Innovation Cheque project with Idealesse
• Green Patterns – Digital Future Labs Project
• ZHAW Sustainability Lab – Sustainability Communication
• Swiss Sustainability Benchmark Study 2023

Finding Product-Market Fit in Health Care

Start-up and business development projects are characterised not only by technological risks but also by significant market uncertainties. We help you navigate complex healthcare markets using Lean Startup and Biodesign methodologies. Through structured feedback from patients and healthcare professionals, we support the objective validation and refinement of your product ideas and go-to-market strategies, including:

• Market potential and pricing analyses for healthcare markets
• Evidence-based evaluation of problem–solution fit and product–market fit
• Assessment and further development of innovation and omnichannel strategies

Examples of Our Successful Projects

• Product-Market Fit in Imaging Software  – Innosuisse Innovation Cheque
• Product–Market Fit in Urology – Innosuisse Innovation Cheque
• Omnichannel Benchmark Study for an International Pharmaceutical Company – Commissioned Research
• ZHAW Summer School for HealthTech Innovators – For MSc and PhD Students
• MRSG Publikation: Product-Market Fit of HealthTech Innovation - Methods, Challenges, and Good Practice – Free Download

Data-Driven Decision-Making and Machine Learning for Product Managers

The systematic use of data is a key success factor in product management. I support organisations in developing data-driven approaches that enable informed decision-making and strengthen the strategic direction of their products. By applying advanced analytics and using synthetic data for modelling and simulation, I uncover complex relationships and generate actionable insights that form the basis for well-founded strategic recommendations.

Examples of Our Successful Projects

• Medical Training in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs)
• Blockchain Solution for Art Authentication in the Art Market
• Waste Action Solution
• Nutrition & health goal-oriented mobile Application 

Data Science for Product Management

We help organisations optimise their products through data. From data collection and analysis to implementation, we enable data-driven product decisions.

• Breaking down data silos to create a holistic view of products
• Building ETL processes for efficient data integration and use
• Applying data science methods throughout the product lifecycle

Using tools such as Python and Pandas, we transform data into valuable product insights. Our approach helps organisations of all sizes develop better products and achieve stronger market performance.

Examples of Our Successful Projects

• Data-driven Marketing
• Vital+ streams vital patient data from anywhere - Product-Market Fit Analysis
• Optimizing 3D Virtual Fitting: Achieving Superior Product-Market Fit in the Fashion Industry
• Real-Time, Human-Validated Data Annotation: Assessing Rapid Tasks in Decentralized Systems Across Industries
• Product market fit and requirement for a novel diagnostic device in dermatology and plastic surgery applications

Value Creation Opportunities in Industry

Simply combining stainless steel with silicon does not create smart products. Real value emerges when industrial products are integrated with sensors, software, and connectivity, creating a convergence of the physical and digital worlds. This enables greater operational efficiency and increasingly personalised services that address real business challenges.

Typical challenges we help organisations address include:

• Identifying customer value and revenue potential
• Developing cross-company and cross-industry platform strategies
• Designing performance-based pricing models
• Assessing operational efficiency and cost-saving potential
• Conducting patent searches to evaluate freedom to operate

Evidence-based Product & Innovation Management

Successful product and innovation management does not happen by chance. It emerges where experience is combined with relevant evidence. Research shows that evidence-based decisions are made faster, with greater clarity, and lead to better outcomes.

Whether you are a scale-up, SME, or large corporation, we help you systematically strengthen your product and innovation management to make better decisions with less risk and greater impact by providing:

• Training and coaching in evidence-based product and innovation management
• Designing and facilitating validation and learning processes in the early stages of innovation
• Systematic assessment of opportunities, evidence, and risks
• Establishing evidence-based decision-making processes within product and innovation teams
• Effective and targeted use of AI tools throughout the product and innovation management process

How Do We Develop the Next Generation of Product Managers?

There is no doubt that lifelong learning has become an integral part of professional life in Switzerland. According to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, more than 60% of working professionals complete at least one executive education programme during their careers, and this figure continues to rise. We help product managers stay competitive and prepared for the evolving demands of their profession through the following programmes.

Please note that our executive education programmes are taught primarily in German, and the programme websites are currently available in German only:

• MAS Product Management
• CAS AI in Product Managament
• CAS Health Care Marketing
• CAS Mastering Product Management
• CAS Strategisches Marketing

How Can We Help You Advance Your Product Management?

If your organisation's product management team is looking to evolve and meet today's challenges, the ZHAW Center for Product Management offers a range of opportunities to connect with peers and gain new perspectives:

• Swiss Product Management Community
  The Swiss Product Management Community is a LinkedIn group for product managers in Switzerland to exchange ideas on current challenges in product management, discuss solutions, and share best practices.
  • Become a member: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13623743/ 
• Center of Excellence for Industrial Product Management
  The Center of Excellence for Industrial Product Management is an exclusive community for product management executives from six non-competing companies. Participating organisations meet four times a year at one of the partner companies to discuss current topics and share experiences from their product management practice.
  • There is still capacity to welcome one to two additional companies in 2026. If you are interested, please contact Prof. Dr. Rainer Fuchs.
• Tailor-Made In-House Training
  Our customised in-house training programmes focus specifically on the areas in which you want to further develop your product management capabilities. Together, we design a training programme tailored to your needs and deliver it exclusively for your team.