Particular thanks go to my employer for providing me with various support during my journey as a doctorate candidate. In this context, first of all, I would like to 1 Chapter 1: Thesis Background and Research Structure CHAPTER 1: THESIS BACKGROUND AND RESEARCH STRUCTURE 1.1 State of research, motivation, and main research questions: Higher outcome of successful innovation projects, through adequate evaluation, selection and project execution procedures for supplier innovations Nowadays, innovations are central sources of competitive advantage, and effective innovation management -from product idea to launch -is crucial to ensure that organizations survive and prosper (Ozer