Technology Roadmapping Process Research Articles

A transition towards clean propulsion in shipping: The role of PESTLE drivers and implications for policy

In the context of the ongoing green transition within the maritime sector, this study seeks to explore the interplay of factors influencing the development of clean propulsion technologies. We identify the drivers underpinning the shift towards cleaner propulsion in maritime operations and outline the implications for the future of such technologies. This research is a result of industry-academia effort to develop a collective vision and strategy for a consortium of companies within propulsion sector. The market drivers are identified as part of a technology roadmapping process following PESTLE framework. Additionally, we employ the MICMAC method to discern dependencies and influences among these drivers. The findings indicate that certain drivers, such as fuel pricing and economic incentives, wield considerable independent influence, whereas others, including green financing, political will, and emission targets, exhibit substantial influence but are interdependent with other variables. Overall, most of the 30 drivers identified in the study both influence and depend on other drivers, creating a complex and uncertain system. This research contributes empirically to a holistic understanding of the intricate interplay among diverse market drivers in the context of clean propulsion in the maritime sector. Theoretically, it unveils the interdependent structure of socio-technical regimes and its implications in terms of “windows of opportunity” for niche development.

An integrated framework for assessing the technology roadmapping process from multiple perspectives: The case at the sector level

An integrated framework for assessing the technology roadmapping process from multiple perspectives: The case at the sector level

A systematic review of industry-level applications of technology roadmapping: Evaluation and design propositions for roadmapping practitioners

Technology roadmapping (TRM) has gained prominence in both firm-level and industry-level applications, however, there is a lack of attention in the evolution of TRM processes in the industry. This paper systematically reviews the literature on industry-level TRM between the period 2000 and 2019 by categorically coding 23 journal articles to account for the general facets of TRM and the stakeholder involvement efforts in the process. The paper contributes to the TRM body of knowledge in three ways, first, by creating a portfolio of articles extending on prior reviews in the field and focusing on the industry-level applications between 2000 and 2019. The results show that many researchers combine methods in different stages of TRM, but only a handful of the industries forgo future planning for technology implementation. Second, the efforts and rigour in stakeholder selection and involvement were assessed across breadth, depth, and timing dimensions. Our results show that the overall stakeholder involvement effort is low, and the process can benefit from including thought leaders from diverse domains, especially from firms to instigate interest in technology development and commercialization. Third, based on our findings we developed design propositions for TRM practitioners to improve stakeholder involvement in the process.

Toward Sociotechnical Transition Technology Roadmaps: A Proposed Framework for Large-Scale Projects in Developing Countries

Governments and industries continuously engage in large-scale projects aiming to unlock economic potential for commercial and social benefits of a country and its people. In the case of developing countries, where the dynamics of innovation ecosystems differ from those in developed countries, the need for sociotechnical transition projects are often quite high. The aim of this article is to propose a standardized framework suitable for developing countries for the technology roadmapping of large projects aimed to bring about systemic sociotechnical transitions. The framework is developed through the integration of existing generic technology roadmapping approaches with transition management theory and complex systems theory and was illustrated against a successful sociotechnical transition program that is characterized by Big Fast Results (BFR) requirements. Data were collected from qualitative interviews as well as from the critical analysis of relevant documents. The proposed sociotechnical transition technology roadmap accurately captured the key elements of the BFR project it was benchmarked against and even identified key elements that were not included in the BFR methodology. An advantage of the proposed sociotechnical transition technology framework is the fact that it makes use of a standard technology roadmapping process with few customizations that are ideal for use in developing countries.

A Fuzzy-MOP-Based Competence Set Expansion Method for Technology Roadmap Definitions

Technology roadmaps have been widely adopted as an important management tool during the past three decades after their invention by Motorola in the 1980s. Technology roadmapping processes can be integrated with a firm’s competence sets and play dominant roles in strategy definitions. Although the issue of how multiple objectives can be dealt with in technology roadmaps by including the uncertainties of the modern management environment is important, it has seldom been addressed. To remedy this, we aim in this research to propose a competence set expansion method based on fuzzy multiple objective programming (FMOP). An empirical study based on the roadmapping of silicon intellectual properties (SIPs) of automotive applications will be used to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed roadmapping method. In the future, the proposed analytic technique can be integrated with the data mining results of academic research database, patent libraries, etc. The well-verified mathematical programming method can serve as a basis for research and development (R&D) strategy definitions by managers of high-technology firms as well as policy makers of governments.

Research on the TRM Kaizen Method for Governmental Organizations to Apply Technology Roadmapping as a Methodology to Achieve the Goals of Industrial Technology Policy

This article aims to introduce a case study of application and upgrading exercise of technology roadmapping to be introduced for the implementation of industrial science and technology policy. Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) under the supervision of METI cooperated to develop and use technology roadmaps (TRM 1.0), which were conducted during 2005–2010. Based on this first attempt, we propose TRM Kaizen method to improve our methodology from the viewpoint of achieving the goals of industrial technology policy in a more effective and efficient way. Next, we extract the points to be reassessed in the technology roadmapping process based on our experiences of the application of the method. We consecutively propose an amendment, new technology roadmapping (TRM 2.0), with improvements to cope with the points mentioned above after 2014, and implement the technology roadmapping methodology for actual policy. Finally, the results of our practice are tested using TRM Kaizen method, and it is confirmed that issues of (TRM 1.0) have been almost fully resolved. The TRM Kaizen method illustrated in this article can be used as a practical methodology for more sophisticated technology roadmapping from the viewpoint of achieving the goals of industrial technology policy.

Technology Roadmapping for mission-led agile hardware development: a case study of a commercial fusion energy start-up

Despite several decades of dedicated R&D, fusion, a potentially world-changing energy source, remains decades away from commercialisation. The majority of development thus far has been via publicly-funded programmes led by government laboratories focused on scientific research and in which commercialisation strategy and innovation play a minor role. Generally, such programmes follow a linear model of innovation in which commercial aspects are not considered until later in development. In consequence and without intention, devices not well-suited for commercial application are being pursued. In recent years, however, privately funded fusion start-ups have emerged with the goal of accelerating the commercialisation of fusion. Fusion start-ups are, by necessity, operating on a fundamentally different model of innovation: agile innovation, whereby technology is developed flexibly and iteratively towards an explicit commercial goal. Technology Roadmapping is a method that has been effective for supporting agile innovation but thus far has had limited application to mission-led hardware development. We characterise the key features of the fusion innovation approach and create a novel Technology Roadmapping process for fusion start-ups, which is developed via a case study with Tokamak Energy Ltd. The main elements of the developed process, the resulting Technology Roadmap, and its impact are presented.

Strategic technology roadmapping for inter-ministry R&D cooperation

Since the 2008 global economic crisis, South Korea has actively invested in R&D for technological competitiveness and new market access. Systematic strategies and cooperation between government departments investing in R&D are needed for maximum impact of these investments and efficient use of limited government financial resources. However, technology roadmaps established by individual ministries of the Korean Government lack linkages with national goals and do not provide clear guidance. Additionally, existing technology roadmaps provided by the Korean Government include only technology trees and timetables, but no other technology-supporting measures. This paper provides a strategic technology roadmapping process for inter-ministry R&D cooperation and offers selection criteria for the roadmap's target technologies and supporting measures such as improved legal systems, professional personnel training, and infrastructure replenishment for commercialisation of the target technologies. Finally, the paper presents a process to align national technology roadmaps with the government's R&D programs and budget allocation.

Strategic technology roadmapping for inter-ministry R&D cooperation

Since the 2008 global economic crisis, South Korea has actively invested in R&D for technological competitiveness and new market access. Systematic strategies and cooperation between government departments investing in R&D are needed for maximum impact of these investments and efficient use of limited government financial resources. However, technology roadmaps established by individual ministries of the Korean Government lack linkages with national goals and do not provide clear guidance. Additionally, existing technology roadmaps provided by the Korean Government include only technology trees and timetables, but no other technology-supporting measures. This paper provides a strategic technology roadmapping process for inter-ministry R&D cooperation and offers selection criteria for the roadmap's target technologies and supporting measures such as improved legal systems, professional personnel training, and infrastructure replenishment for commercialisation of the target technologies. Finally, the paper presents a process to align national technology roadmaps with the government's R&D programs and budget allocation.

Design Roadmapping: A Framework and Case Study on Planning Development of High-Tech Products in Silicon Valley

We propose a framework for design roadmapping that parallels existing product roadmapping and technology roadmapping processes. It leverages three needs we have observed in organizations as they use existing roadmapping processes: (1) to focus on development of customer and user experiences (UX), not just on features; (2) to increase engagement of designers early in the planning process; and (3) to provide a means for rapidly responding to changes in the environment. Design roadmapping is an attempt to reconcile differences that arise when customer/user needs are not considered simultaneously with technology choices. The proposed design roadmapping process assists project prioritization and selection. The process aggregates design experience elements along a timeline that associates key user needs with the products, services, and/or systems the organization wishes to deliver. To illustrate the design roadmapping process, we conducted a case study in which we applied the design roadmapping process to projects undertaken by a large corporation's innovation lab located in research centers in San Francisco and Mountain View, CA, in partnership with corporate stakeholders located in Asia. The five-step design roadmapping procedure is provided along with detailed information. The decisions from the design roadmapping process have been incorporated into the company's commercial plans. Key findings in this corporate case study bolster the positive impact of design roadmapping in moving strategic thinking from a technology/feature-driven process to one that is design/experience-driven. It shows how firms might weigh choices between user needs, design principles, and technological innovation.

An industrial technology roadmap for supporting public R&D planning

Technology roadmap is one of the useful tools for managing R&D planning as well as identifying the future of technological progress at firms, various levels of government agencies, and other organizations. This study presents an industrial technology roadmapping process for use in public R&D programs, affecting firms' strategic behavior under this umbrella. The primary purpose of this paper is to address evolutionary aspects of industrial technology roadmap for the South Korea case and provide a more advanced framework of public R&D planning.Since 2000, technology roadmapping has been initiated by the government agency in South Korea, and, more recently, this practice has become popularized in small- and medium-sized companies as well. Despite the popularity, practitioners have some difficulties in finding practical guidelines and systematic processes for developing technology roadmaps applicable to R&D planning within an organization. The framework of industrial technology roadmapping developed by the Korea Institute for the Advancement of Technology can be applied or modified to the R&D planning process of similar projects. This roadmapping process deals with a variety of industries with different characteristics, and provides a systematic mechanism to predict future market demands and technology innovations. Finally, this paper shed some lights on the major challenges, potential roadblocks and proposed recommendations in roadmapping process.

Technology roadmap for smart electric vehicle-to-grid (V2G) of residential chargers

Smart grid is defined as the overlaying of a unified communications and control system onto the existing power delivery infrastructure to provide the right information and the right entity at the right time. It helps even out demand spikes and uses resource mix more efficiently. It is a better integration, or “system balancing,” of variable resources, like wind power. Many of the advanced applications of smart grid are expected to develop in an evolutionary manner based on current technologies available and the needs of the market, for example, electric vehicles (EVs) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). It is likely that we will see a simpler associated application (i.e., smart battery charger) before the market matures to support a more complex form of the application vehicle-to-grid (V2G). The objective of this paper is to develop a technology roadmapping (TRM) process for smart electric V2G technologies in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest (PNW). The research focuses on the application of V2G in the residential chargers. It introduces the market drivers, products, and technology analysis and also provides research on the necessary resources needed within R&D in the coming years (next 10 years).

Transition Management: Case Study of an Energy Efficiency Technology Roadmap in Turkey

This paper integrates several streams of literature in transition management and proposes a holistic framework for its application in policy-making. Separate fields of study, such as motors of change and strategic intelligence tools, are unified in a single analytical process. The process involves five steps that may be repeated until a desired policy objective is achieved. The pilot, integrated technology roadmap process that has been launched in Turkey is analyzed as a case study. The Energy Efficiency Technology Roadmap has been completed with the participation of over 160 experts in 5 different stages. It involved the collection of over 349 Delfi statements, their consolidation for a Delfi survey with 16 statements, the analysis of the results, a focal group meeting to develop roadmaps for the 7 selected goals, and the consultation of the roadmaps to the sector. The paper concludes that an integrated technology roadmap process, as described in the pilot case study, provides an advanced version of transition management, which is needed to mobilize research, development, and innovation for sustainable development.

How to “Capture the Future by Utilization of the Past” in the Coming Revision of China CO2 Technology Roadmap?

A technology roadmap is the document that is generated by the technology road-mapping process. It usually identifies the critical system requirements, the product and process performance targets, and the technology alternatives and milestones for meeting those targets. In effect, a technology roadmap identifies alternate technology “roads” for meeting certain performance objectives. CCUS has great potential to reduce CO2 emissions substantially from the whole lifecycle of traditional energy-intensive industry at a large-scale. In this paper, we do not want to address how to generally make a CO2 technology roadmap. We are concerning about the gaps and suggestions which should be closed in the coming revision of China CO2 technology roadmap 2011. The paper presents a summary of latest situations of international and national CCUS technical roadmaps. Then, the challenges existed in the past and also emerged currently in China are proposed. Finally, some comments and suggestions for the coming version of China's CCUS technology roadmap are displayed to guide ongoing development of CCUS in China based on the development situation and challenges of China CCUS RD&D in the past and at the present stage.

An analysis of factors improving technology roadmap credibility: A communications theory assessment of roadmapping processes

In recent years, many industrial firms have been able to use roadmapping as an effective process methodology for projecting future technology and for coordinating technology planning and strategy. Firms potentially realize a number of benefits in deploying technology roadmapping (TRM) processes. Roadmaps provide information identifying which new technologies will meet firms' future product demands, allowing companies to leverage R&D investments through choosing appropriately out of a range of alternative technologies. Moreover, the roadmapping process serves an important communication tool helping to bring about consensus among roadmap developers, as well as between participants brought in during the development process, who may communicate their understanding of shared corporate goals through the roadmap. However, there are few conceptual accounts or case studies have made the argument that roadmapping processes may be used effectively as communication tools. This paper, therefore, seeks to elaborate a theoretical foundation for identifying the factors that must be considered in setting up a roadmap and for analyzing the effect of these factors on technology roadmap credibility as perceived by its users. Based on the survey results of 120 different R&D units, this empirical study found that firms need to explore further how they can enable frequent interactions between the TRM development team and TRM participants. A high level of interaction will improve the credibility of a TRM, with communication channels selected by the organization also positively affecting TRM credibility.

An activity guideline for technology roadmapping implementation

To strive for sustainability under today's intense business competition, organisations apply technology roadmapping (TRM) as a strategic planning tool to align their technology strategies with business strategies. Many organisations desire to integrate TRM into an ongoing strategic planning process. The consequences of TRM implementation can lead to some changes in the business process, organisational structure, or even working culture. Applying a change management approach will help organisations to understand the basic elements that an individual needs so that some challenges can be addressed in advance before adopting the TRM process. This paper proposes a practical guideline to implement technology roadmapping along with a case example.

Concrete prefabricated housing via advances in systems technologies

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the roadmapping methodology and its application to concrete prefabricated housing in Australia.Design/methodology/approachThe paper describes the concrete and housing industries of Australia collaboration in a project to develop a technology and innovation roadmap that will advance the concrete industry's supply chain capabilities by identifying and mapping innovation necessary for prefabricated concrete house construction. The roadmap lays out what is necessary for an off‐site systems‐based approach to housing construction in Australia. The systems‐based approach to prefabricated concrete products is a relatively new and developing extension of the concrete industry supply chain in Australia. New manufacturing technologies and innovations, which are emerging locally and from overseas, make these potential extensions possible. For the long‐term sustainability of the concrete industry, it is critical that it better understands how to adopt cooperative innovations in prefabrication to realise these benefits in the housing industry and advance Australia's competitiveness. The first phase of the mapping involved the development of an industry‐maturity model that determined the current state of the industry, and plotted this against the desired route for the future. Numerous industry‐based workshops and interviews gathered the views of the industry towards existing concrete housing systems, and where their main difficulties are in relation to adoption. Using these data, a technology roadmap is developed, together with three options on how these might be realised using the roadmap. The options offered through the roadmapping process form the basis for ongoing experimental trials of concrete houses in the major cities of Australia.FindingsThe system‐based approach to prefabrication is seen as innovative and the industry needs to understand how to adopt cooperative innovations in prefabrication in order to be competitive.Originality/valueThe paper offers insights into the technology roadmapping process in Australia, offering an exciting prospect for moving the industry into a new model of delivery.

Comparative technological road-mapping for renewable energy

A comparative technology assessment and roadmapping process is used to examine key characteristics for leading electricity generation technologies and predict trends in cost reduction and growth potential. The role of renewable energy in generation portfolios is assessed, as well as resource integration strategies to minimize cost and environmental damage. The level of adoption of each technology is then linked to cost reduction and growth trends using a cost-prioritized adoption rule. Estimated levels of adoption are then matched to the projected growth of energy demand to determine both adequacy of supply and impact under this model. This study is applicable on both a national and regional energy planning level.

Value Driven Technology Road Mapping (VTRM) process integrating decision making and marketing tools: Case of Internet security technologies

This paper presents a new approach to Technology Roadmapping by integrating marketing and decision methodologies. While much of the research into technology roadmapping has been applied to products that represent a one-time ROI to the manufacturer, current Internet technologies are resulting in web services that use an entirely different financial and business model of licenses and subscriptions. This paper addresses the software services applicability and documents a start-to-finish application of cross-discipline models and tools to form a real-life roadmap from market drivers to project headcount. Pitfalls in the roadmapping process will be documented and suggestions for improvement will also be discussed.

Dealing with the dynamics of technology roadmapping implementation: A case study

Nowadays, companies are facing many challenges. The product life cycle is getting shorter while the complexity and the demand for product customization are increasing. Technology Roadmapping (TRM) has been widely used as a strategic management tool to help organizations in effectively identifying potential products or services for the future, determining proper technology alternatives, and mapping them with resource allocation plans. With the completion of TRM implementation, any organization can be assured that its required technologies and infrastructures will be ready when needed. Implementing TRM as a part of the ongoing strategic/business planning process is challenging because it may affect the organizational work process, structure, and culture. Therefore, an organization needs to understand how the changing roles and responsibilities of key players involved in the TRM process match with the dynamics of TRM implementation in each stage. This paper illustrates the dynamics of TRM implementation and presents a case study to demonstrate how one of the leading building product manufacturers in the ASEAN region went through the process.