Technological Innovation in Public R&D Laboratories in India: Dissecting the Critical Dimensions

Abstract

The management of research and development (R&D) encompasses the innovations that result from it. Managing innovation, however, is intricately linked to the twin aspects of technology transfer and commercialization of research results, steps that demand different sets of actions and capabilities. Inefficiencies in the process of transfer of technology and a lack of orientation towards the commercialization of scientific research results often lead to ineffective public research. This chapter examines at a public-funded R&D laboratory system in the emerging economy context of India, namely the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the primary umbrella of public R&D laboratories in the country. We dissect the critical dimensions that impact technological innovation by analyzing technological innovation cases referring to seven public R&D laboratories functioning under the CSIR. We further probe the technology outreach performance of the laboratories in the IPR domain in terms of patents filed and accepted in India and internationally over a period of eleven years (2003–04 to 2013–14). The results of this work have important implications for the management of technological innovation in public R&D laboratories in emerging economies.