John Paul MacDuffie

Creative Disruption? Innovations in Supply Chain Management

A large number of shipping containers on the deck of a cargo ship at sea, representing global trade and logistics. Executive Summary:  Our Spring ‘23 conference, “Creative Disruption? Innovations in Supply Chain Management,” highlighted the challenges and opportunities faced by global supply chains in the wake of unprecedented disruptions. Speakers from academia and industry discussed such themes as the balance between efficiency and resilience, the role of advanced technologies in…Read More

Introducing AV4EV: Our Initiative to Study Commercialization of Autonomous Driving

A busy highway at sunset with several cars, highlighted with digital overlays representing self-driving or connected vehicle technology.

The automotive industry is on the brink of a massive transformation as autonomous vehicles (AVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) are poised to experience widespread growth and adoption over the next several years. While these new technologies hold tremendous potential in reducing carbon emissions, improving safety, enhancing mobility, and increasing efficiency,…Read More

Leveraging the Metaverse for Innovation: Key Takeaways from our Fall ’22 Conference

A person wearing a virtual reality headset and holding controllers in a classroom setting. Several other people are present, some also using VR devices.

Emerging metaverse technologies have equally passionate evangelists and skeptics, making it hard to separate hype from reality. Facebook was the subject of buzzy media headlines when it rebranded to Meta, but now faces plummeting stock and mass layoffs. At the same time, investors continue to pour billions into metaverse-related technology…Read More

John Paul MacDuffie in WSJ: Climate Change Technologies That Could Make All the Difference

A white silhouette of an electric car with a charging plug on a green background, symbolizing an electric vehicle charging station.

John Paul MacDuffie, Director of the Program on Vehicle and Mobility Innovation at the Mack Institute, was featured in the Wall Street Journal alongside other experts discussing innovations in green technology. MacDuffie weighed in on the development of more efficient EV batteries, which could speed along the adoption of electric…Read More

NYTimes: Rivian I.P.O. Is Embraced by Investors Looking for Another Tesla

A yellow maintenance vehicle is grinding on railway tracks, creating visible sparks beneath it. The image captures a side view of the vehicle, focusing on its heavy-duty equipment and undercarriage.

John Paul MacDuffie was quoted in a New York Times in a story about Rivian, an electric truck manufacturers who shook the stock market after releasing their first product: a fleet of only 150 pickup trucks, launched after ten years of research and development.…Read More

The Future of Mobility: Strategy, Technology, and Geopolitics

A night cityscape featuring light trails from moving vehicles on a highway and a curved overpass, surrounded by tall buildings.

Discussing the “once in a century” transformation of the auto industry, including electric and autonomous vehicles, data and AI, and global supply chain issues…Read More

Studying Industry Disruption Using Crowdsourced Tournaments

Funded Research Proposal

We seek to explore how individuals evaluate the uncertainty during the nascent period of industry disruption, and to identify factors that can help improve their forecasting accuracy. To do so, we will draw on a recently developed research methodology of forecasting tournaments.…Read More

The Road Forward for Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicle

The electric vehicle market seems poised to take off, with high demand for Tesla’s Model 3 and growing attention from big automakers. Yet challenges that stalled EV growth in the past, namely sparse charging infrastructure and high costs, persist. John Paul MacDuffie looks at the role policymakers can take to support, or sink, the EV renaissance.…Read More

Are Affordable Electric Vehicle Batteries on the Horizon?

Close-up of several yellow batteries with metallic tops, representing energy storage or power supply.

One key factor affecting consumer acceptance of electric vehicles is the price and performance of batteries, so the Electric Vehicle Forecasting Challenge includes a question about the cost per kilowatt-hour (KwH) in 2016.…Read More

Knowledge Generation and Innovation Diffusion in the Global Automotive Industry—Change and Stability During Turbulent Times

A car partially visible with "PVMI Research" text overlayed in bold white letters against a blue tint.

This introduction to the April 2015 Industrial and Corporate Change special section establishes the context within which automotive firms cope with turbulence caused by globalization, new governmental regulations, and advances in electronics, communication, and drive train technologies.…Read More

John Paul MacDuffie on Converging Industries

PVMI Director John Paul MacDuffie

What happens when two industries with fundamentally different clockspeeds converge within a single product? In a recent Knowledge@Wharton article, Program on Vehicle and Mobility Innovation Director John Paul MacDuffie discusses the challenges of integrating IT-based technology, such as computer-based collision avoidance systems, into automobiles. MacDuffie highlights the tight integration of…Read More

J.D. Power III’s Impact on the Auto Industry

A headshot of an older adult in a suit with a red tie, wearing glasses, conversing with another person.

How J.D. Power III Transformed the Auto Industry Through the collection of consumer feedback on cars, J.D. “Dave” Power III revolutionized the automobile industry in 1968. In this Knowledge@Wharton interview conducted by PVMI director John Paul MacDuffie, Power discusses the founding and early years of his firm, J.D. Power and…Read More

When Disruptive Technologies Meet Integrated Systems

John Paul MacDuffie addresses Mack Institute Fall Conference attendees

Knowing when to hold and when to fold isn’t just for poker players. When applied to new technology, that insight into knowing when to embrace the next new thing and when to let it pass has been known to make or break careers and entire companies. Think Kodak, an iconic…Read More