Strategies for Driving R&D and Technology Development

OVERVIEW:It is often claimed that research and development has its own, separate strategy. However, there are several strategies related to research, as well as to product and technology development, that address general business and competition, products and platforms, and technologies and competencies. None of these is sufficient on its own because the strategies influence one another. Business and technology roadmaps are essential in linking these company-wide strategic plans—by integrating and exploring the strategies, transforming them into actions, and making them operational. Mere strategies are not sufficient, no matter how well defined and articulated, if they are rigid. They must be resilient—incorporating an ability to recover from, or adjust easily to, misfortune or change.