Transcript R&D Management

Introduction
Research & Development
Introduction
In the past, technology was absent in strategic management
thinking and practice
“Technological innovation traditionally had been potrayed
largely as a subject separate from other management
practices, including strategy”
“A strategy when related to technology was considered as
belonging to the realm of R&D”
“Technology was treated as implementation issue: a firm
determines its strategy and this drives how technology will
be used”
However, since early 1980s there has been a real acceptance
of technology’s strategic importance in decision making.
What is Research?
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Research
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Basic research
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Goal: Expand man’s knowledge (e.g., which genes control
social behavior of honey bees? )
Often driven by curiosity (but not always)
High impact examples: relativity theory, DNA, …
Applied research
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Discover new knowledge
Seek answers to questions
Goal: Improve human condition (i.e., improve the wolrd)
(e.g., how to cure cancers?)
Driven by practical needs
High impact examples: computers, transistors, vaccinations,
…
The boundary is vague; distinction isn’t important
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Research
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Case of Sixth Sense
Why Research?
Curiosity
Quality of
Life
Amount of
knowledge
Basic Research
Advancement of
Technology
Applied Research
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Utility of
Applications
Application
Development
5 Elements of a Research
Proposal
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Problem statement
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Previous/Related work
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How do you plan to solve the problem?
Justify your plan (analytical, preliminary results)
Evaluation plan
Research management
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What do we already know about the problem?
How would the proposed research increase our
knowledge?
Research plan
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Motivation: Raise the research question
Define the question
Benefit of solving the problem
Schedule, milestones, fallback plans
Resource needs
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R&D Strategy
“ Definition of the set of R&D projects required to achieve
the fixed objectives in terms of technology acquisition
defined within the overall strategic framework of the firm”
Key terms:
A set of R&D projects is the actual output of the R&D strategy
Technology acquisition refers to acquisition of technology, either
internally developed or externally acquired (including the variety of
collaborative forms that are needed)
The technology is not good per se, but has to be useful to achieve
the firm’s overall objectives and therefore there needs to be
consistent between the decision of technology acquisition (and
ultimately the set of R&D projects planned) and the firms’ overall
strategy.
Note:
Take note, that the ultimate objective of R&D management in
the context of firms is to create sustainable financial profit for the firm – profit
oriented.
R&D Strategy
External environment
Organisation
e.g. FIRM
Internal
environment
R&D Strategy
Formulation of the firm’s technology strategy
Fixes the overall framework and objectives of the process
of technology acquisition, and therefore identifies the
technologies to be developed/acquired.
R&D project portfolio definition
Structure such strategy into “projects” and allocate the
resources available among these projects.
Assignment
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Make a file containing:
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Key Learnings
One Page analysis of Product
Innovation by Samsung
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