Minimalist Definitions of Technology & Innovation

Minimalist Definitions of Technology & Innovation

Mills provided very simplified but interesting definitions for several
components of the process of technological innovation.
Science How things are
Technology How to do things
Management How to get things done
Technology management Dong tings
Entrepreneurship Doing things to make money
Innovation Doing entrepreneurship

The innovation and Wealth creation process

In Past 50 years – 40 % of productivity gain – Industrial innovation
Key elements of innovation process…
Innovation is a concurrent, interactive non linear activity
Innovation includes…
o Science – Engineering – Technological
o Social – Political – Economic – Interactions
Critical Element – Scientific engineering
o An analytic, reductionism process

Three Critical Trajectories Impacting the innovation Process

Three critical trajectories are…
o Border crossing [National & Sectorial]
o Emergence of Complex technologies
o Knowledge & distributed intelligence
1) Border crossing [National & Sectorial]
International boundaries
Internationally co authored articles increased by 150 % from
1981 – 193
73 % of recent patents awarded in the US cite research
2) Emergence of Complex Technologies
The change of nature of the product & the processes
demandable by today’s global marketplace
Donald Kash & Robert Rycroft
o Most successful commercial technologies have changed
in one basic way over the past quarter century
KDI – Knowledge & distributed intelligence
Move from internet decade to information

KDI – 3 basic characteristics
o Knowledge networking
o Learning & intelligent systems
o New challenges
Factors influencing technological innovation in industry
1) The changing world environment
2) Improvements in communication
3) Multiple site continuous R & D
4) Time to market
5) The push for education
6) Changes n institutional interactions
7) Changes in organizational structures
8) Infusion of resources into technological development &
penetration
An Example of technological innovation :

Xerography involves the confluence & interplay of a number of
disparate developments in science, technology & business.
It employs a broad rare of materials & physical phenomena ranging
from….

Non crystalline or amorphous solids to polymers
o Photoconductivity
o triboelectricity
The subsequent evolution of xerography ….
o Digital solid state electronics
o Word processing computers
o Lasers
The production of images based on the ability of electro statically
charged insulators to attract triboelectricity charged powders.
Selenyi & others – the concept of charging an insulator with an
image wise pattern o charged ions.
Selenium crystals – 1870’s
Carlson’s invention – electro photography
The developer – lycopodium powder
Greek word for dry – Xeros
For writing / Drawing – graphein
Xerography – Xerox
Xerox 914 – would make copies on paper up to 9" x 14" - 1958
Technology Strategy Framework

1) Forecast the technology
Starting point
Involves the projection of both internally owned technology
Technology available in the market place
2) Analyze the forecast the environment
Identify the key factors
Potential states of the environment
Key uncertainties
Major threats and opportunities
3) Analyze & forecast the market / User
Direct contact with potential customers
Fulfill of customers requirements & desire
Get closer to customer


4) Analyze the organization
Delineate the major assets & problems
Develop a catalogue of available human / material / resources
Access recent performance against stated objective
Understand the strength & weakness of the organization
5) Develop the mission
Specify critical assumption
Establish overall organization objectives
Establish specific target objectives
6) Design organization actions
Create candidates actions
Analyze & debate candidate
7) Put the plan in to operation
Develop timely sub objectives
Specify action steps
Schedule and budget
Develop tracking mechanisms
Specify control mechanisms

Goals of Technology Strategy

Maintaining technical competence –

Expansion of markets –

Competitive advantages

The need for structured thinking about technology

Conducting internal R & D activities Direct investment
Diverging / acquire - assets / companies Licensing
Activity patenting Contracting R & D
Utilizing the results of public sector R & D Joint ventures
Re – training & re-directing existing resources & capabilities