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Reference: IMD-7-2158

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September 2020

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Matternet-Swiss Post: Drone based healthcare delivery (B)

 Howard H. Yu

By Professor Howard H. YuHoward H. Yu and Marc Chauvet

Startup Matternet entered in 2017 the market of drone-based delivery of medical samples in Switzerland, via an investment from Swiss Post.

Following two consecutive incidents in 2019 during which the drones fell mid-air to the ground, Matternet was caught between its growth imperative and its investor’s increasing concern regarding its public image and the safety of the technology.

Regulatory evolutions in the USA and a partnership with logistics behemoth UPS allowed the company to shift most of its operations to the USA in 2019.

Learning Objective

Case B is to bring in a set of conditions that could derail the best intention ofsenior executives. The “surprising” elements are to challenge a simplisitic assumptions among participants on how successful innovation can be managed.

Keywords Business Model, Drone, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Investor Relations, Management, Medical Services, Start-up, Strategy
Settings Europe, Northern America, Switzerland, United States of America
Matternet, Poste Suisse, Logistics and Supply Chain, Shipping, Transportation
2017-2020
Type Field Research
Copyright ©IMD 2020
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Reference: IMD-7-2158

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