2 April 2026

Nordhausen, 30 March 2026 - While digital products and services dominate the global economy today, the German-speaking world has so far lacked a systematic, scientific treatment of digital product management as an independent discipline. Prof Dr Lutz Göcke from Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences and Michael Schultheiß (reMarkable) have now closed this gap with the textbook „Product Management: Continuous Innovation of Digital Products“. The work, published by Springer Gabler Verlag, brings together empirical research and the requirements of the digital economy in a structured framework for the first time.

Paradigm shift: from project to product life cycle

Digital products differ fundamentally from physical goods in that they can be edited, are interactive and can be reprogrammed after delivery. Despite these differences, digital activities are still misunderstood in many companies as completed IT projects, which often leads to offerings stagnating after market entry.

The new textbook starts here and emphasises the need to manage digital products over their entire life cycle - a requirement that is also gaining legal significance due to the amendment of the EU Product Liability Directive 2024/2853. „Creating something and actively changing the world is a deeply human expression of our abilities,“ says Prof Dr Göcke in the foreword, describing the creative core of this discipline.

The 6D model as the scientific centrepiece

Digital products are fundamentally different from physical goods due to their editable and interactive nature. Nevertheless, they are often still treated as temporary IT projects in companies. This is where the new textbook comes in and establishes the 6D model as the conceptual backbone. It describes product management as a continuous cycle from the strategic decision on direction (Discovery & Direction) through realisation (Delivery) to market penetration (Diffusion) and data-supported optimisation.

Comments on the book and professional discourse

The official book launch took place on 19 March 2026 at the design agency edenspiekermann in Berlin, where experts from companies such as AWS and Figma discussed the future of the industry. The book met with a broad response from experts: Prof. Dr André Hanelt (University of Kassel) attests to the book's „convincing combination of science and practice“, while Dr Ralf Kuschnereit (CEO of JENOPTIK AG) emphasises the benefits for the sustainable development of digital business models in corporations. For Prof Dr Dr Ricarda Schlimbach (Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences), the work also provides the long-awaited sound basis for systematically embedding digital product management in academic teaching.

Anchoring in teaching and practice

The creation of the book is closely linked to Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences, which plays a pioneering role in the state university landscape with its „Digital Product Management“ Bachelor's degree programme. More than 30 experts from science and business reviewed the manuscript, including alumni of the university who are now working in leading positions in the digital economy.

Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences offers innovative degree programmes at the interface of management and technology. The bachelor's degree programme in Digital Product Management (B.A.) prepares students specifically for the demands of the modern digital economy. Further information on the „Digital Product Management (B.A.)“ degree programme at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences can be found at https://www.hs-nordhausen.de/studiengang/digitales-produktmanagement/. Applications for the winter semester are possible from May.


Note: In addition to the book publication, a current article in the Science Blog of Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences offers in-depth insights into the background of the work: https://www.hs-nordhausen.de/science-blog/ein-neues-fundament-fuer-das-digitale-produktmanagement-erstes-weltweites-lehrbuch-zum-produktmanagement-digitaler-produkte-erschienen/

Bibliographic information:

• Title: Product management: Continuous innovation of digital products
• Authors: Lutz Göcke, Michael Schultheiß
• Publisher: Springer Gabler, 2026
• Scope: 679 pages, approx. 400 illustrations
• DOI: 10.1007/978-3-658-49110-9