Formation and efficiency analysis of an innovative business model in automotive engineering based on the principles of open innovation and the integration of a production and media platform (A Case Study of the “Mashinatory” Project)

The study addresses the transformation of traditional business models in automotive engineering under the impact of the Fourth and Fifth Industrial Revolutions. At the center of the analysis lies the emergence of a hybrid organizational model that combines high-tech customized production with a digital media platform. Using the “Mashinatory” project as empirical material, the paper reveals the logic of open innovation through which small engineering enterprises are able to offset resource constraints by engaging an external expert environment and by deliberately mobilizing social capital. Particular attention is given to the technological predictors of performance, including the use of metrological 3D scanning, additive technologies, and reverse-engineering tools. An empirical examination of the global automotive modification market demonstrates the resilience of demand for personalization, thereby creating the conditions for the expansion of socially oriented production models. The paper substantiates the argument that incorporating media content into the structure of the production cycle not only diversifies financial flows but also serves as a mechanism for verifying technological solutions. The study also proposes a theoretical framework synthesizing the resource-based approach and transaction cost theory in order to assess the efficiency of open innovation ecosystems in the small and medium-sized enterprise segment. The material has both applied and conceptual significance for engineering and design practice, the management of innovative start-ups, and the processes of industrial digital transformation.