Technology education

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The technology foresight (English: Technology Intelligence) includes the activities of procurement, analysis and communication of relevant information on technological trends to support technology decisions of companies and general business decisions.

In times of ever shorter innovation sequences in product and process technology, the manner and duration of the reaction play an increasingly decisive role in the changing technological environment. In addition, the increasing complexity of technology development, which manifests itself in an increasing cross-fertilization of separately developing technology areas and making it difficult to track individual trends, makes a structured and systematic approach in the area of ​​early technology education more and more important.

The ability of a company to gain competitive advantages through its own technology intelligence skills has become a prerequisite for survival, as the quality of management decisions depends largely on the information on which they are based.

Knut Drachsler from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA) in Stuttgart recommends a procedure in the following phases or process sections:

  • Identification of information needs
  • information gathering
  • Information evaluation
  • Integration in the organization (deriving measures and linking to strategy and development processes)
  • Communication in the company

The aim of the information needs assessment is to limit the search for information in order to avoid information overload and to limit the effort involved in obtaining information. Both known technologies that are inside and outside the company are considered as well as fields that are outside the technological and non-technological competencies of the company.

Various sources of information such as libraries, patent databases, the Internet, R&D cost analyzes, Delphi surveys, general expert surveys, pattern analyzes, etc. can be used to obtain information. For use in companies, these are to be evaluated and selected primarily with regard to the time required and the effort required for research .

When evaluating information, general criteria can be derived using analogy methods or S-curve analyzes. To prioritize the subject areas within the scope of the information evaluation, approaches of the moderation technique can be combined with the methods.

The integration into the organization can range from the formulation of individual measures to fundamental changes in the structure and process organization.

To conclude the Technology Intelligence activities, an in-house information and communication workshop is recommended.

literature

  • Knut Drachsler: Guide "Technology Intelligence". Technology early education guidance. Fraunhofer Institute for Production Engineering and Automation, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-8167-7153-X .
  • Eckhard Lichtenthaler: Organization of Technology Intelligence. An empirical study of technology intelligence in technology-intensive large companies. Verlag Industrielle Organization, Zurich 2002, ISBN 3-85743-605-0 ( Technology, Innovation and Management 5), (At the same time: Zurich, Eidgenössische Techn. Hochsch., Diss., No. 13787, 2000: Organization der Technology Intelligence. Eine empirical study in technology-intensive, internationally active large companies. )
  • Pascal Savioz: Technology Intelligence in Technology-based SMEs. Conceptual design and implementation. Verlag Industrielle Organization, Zurich 2002, ISBN 3-85743-712-X ( Technology, Innovation and Management 6), (Simultaneously: Zurich, Eidgenössische Techn. Hochsch., Diss., No. 14646, 2002: Technology Intelligence in Technology-based SMEs. Design and Implementation of a Concept to Identify, collect, analyze, disseminate and apply relevant Information from a Company's technological Environment to support Business decision-making Processes. ).
  • Rico Schady: Technology education in networks - possibilities, organization and benefits of an extended technology education . Diplomica Verlag, Hamburg 2003, ISBN 3-8324-7242-8 .
  • Thomas Wangler: Early Technology Enlightenment in Medium-Sized Enterprises - A Concept of Efficient Finding and Evaluation of Information. 2010 (diploma thesis).