Technology management and public policy in the European Union

Directorate-General For Research And Innovation European Commission

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Research policy and organisation

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• Publié par: DIRECTORATE-GENERAL-FOR-RESEARCH-AND-INNOVATION-EUROPEAN-COMMISSION
• Nombre de lectures: 31
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

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TECHNOLOGY
MANAGEMENT AND
PUBLIC POLICY IN THE
EUROPEAN UNION
EDITED BY
WILLIAM CANNELL
BEN DANKBAAR Important changes are taking place in the
landscape of science, technology and
industry. Governments and enterprises alike
have been forced to develop new ways of
thinking and acting to make the best of
opportunities offered by technological
change. Technology management is
becoming an important strategic activity
for enterprises, which needs to be fully
integrated with other management functions.
This book discusses how European firms
are developing their technology management
capabilities, the problems they are facing
and how European public policy needs to
respond. It draws on probably the most
systematic research into the issues carried
out to date. Under the auspices of the
European Commission a research consortium
of nine research institutes and universities
interviewed managers in over 250 enterprises
focusing on four main sectors and six
different regions.
This book is the capstone of the
investigations, presenting the major findings
and drawing out their implications.
The particular technology management
challenges faced in turn by large firms,
technology intensive SMEs ('high tech
firms'), and technology contingent SMEs
are analysed, as is the role of the research
and technology infrastructure in supporting
technology management on the part of the
firms. In each case specific policy
recommendations are made.
Drawing on such detailed empirical work,
this important but accessible book offers
valuable information and insight to
academics, policy makers and managers
concerned with the competitiveness and
capabilities of European firms and regions.
William Cannell is an Administrator at the
Directorate-General for Science, Research
and Development, European Commission.
Ben Dankbaar is Professor of Business
Administration at Nijmegens School. TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC POLICY
IN THE EUROPEAN UNION EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Technology Management
and Public Policy in the
European Union
Edited by
WILLIAM CANNELL and BEN DANKBAAR
OFFICE FOR OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS OF THE
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
and
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The analysis and opinions expressed in this report are the views of the authors and do not
necessarily represent those of the European Commission
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ISBN 0-19-829028-4 (Oxford University Press)
ISBN 92-827-5552-5 (Office for Official Publications of the European Communities)
[EUR 16710 EN]
13579 10 8642
Typeset by Hope Services (Abingdon) Ltd.
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Biddies Ltd., Guildford & King's Lynn Preface
It has become increasingly clear that the competitive position of
firms in advanced economies—indeed of economies in their
entirety—depends not just on research activities and the techno­
logical capabilities they have at their disposal but on their capacity
to manage technology. Although the literature on technology man­
agement is expanding, up to now very little has been published
which explicitly considers the public policy implications of techno­
logy management and the capabilities and deficits of firms. The aim
of this book is to go some way towards filling this gap and to
address systematically the policy issues surrounding technology
management in firms, so as to bring them to the attention of
researchers and policy-makers.
The book is based on research carried out during a major empir­
ical study conceived and supervised by the European Commission
(DGXII—Science, Research and Development) within the frame­
work of the MONITOR-SAST Activity (Strategic Analysis in
Science and Technology), and carried out over a two-year period
by a consortium of researchers from across the EU under contract
no. MOSA-CT92-0045. It provides a conceptual foundation for
linking the realities of technology management in European firms
with current industrial and technology policy preoccupations, and
presents an empirical analysis of technology management problems
and associated policy needs, with respect to different types of firms
and to the research and technology infrastructure in Europe.
The focus of the book is on the firm-level competences underlying
technology management, and the policy instruments which can be
used to promote them. The various chapters reflect the outcome of
a systematic exploration of the diversity of technology management
problems faced, and approaches adopted, within European compan­
ies. At the outset it has been assumed that the competitive per­
formance of firms is strongly correlated with their technology
management capabilities. But this is not a book about industrial
competitiveness, which is conditioned by many other factors affect­
ing the broader economic, institutional and social context of vi Name
innovation outside the firm, and which are beyond the scope of our
analysis.
The book is aimed at researchers and practitioners concerned
with innovation and public policy in a European context. It has
particular relevance for researchers with an interest in the compar­
ative analysis of management practice and the contribution of man­
agement to industrial and technological change; and for policy
analysts concerned with management as a factor in the develop­
ment of industrial innovation, research and regional policies. It will
also be of interest to a wider circle of researchers and professional
groups concerned with industrial development in the context of
European integration.
Obviously, this book could not have been written without the
help of many people besides the authors. We have relied extensively
on the interviews and case studies carried out by other members of
the research consortium and have benefited greatly from their
insights as participants in workshops conducted during the course
of the study. We have also been greatly assisted by the contribu­
tions of a specially constituted panel of industrial experts who pro­
vided reviews of technology management problems and issues in
various industrial and service sectors, and commented extensively
on reports produced by the consortium. A full list of members of
the research consortium and panel of experts, and a list of all the
reports published from the study appear in appendices at the
end of the book. The authors would also like to express their grat­
itude to the numerous representatives of enterprises who graciously
gave of their time to participate in interviews and answer the
numerous questions we had lined up for them in our common ques­
tionnaire.
The study was overseen by a Steering Group consisting of repres­
entatives of the services of the European Commission, who
reviewed draft reports and contributed many helpful suggestions.
Special thanks are due to Bruno Schmitz, head of the Monitor-
SAST Activity, for his unfailing support for the study and his
astute intellectual input. First drafts of the chapters of this book
were presented and discussed at a workshop held in Brussels in
November 1994, and have been much improved as a result. We
would particularly like to thank the discussants at that work­
shop, whose names also appear in an appendix. Finally, this book
would never have reached the publishers without the patience and Policy Implications of Technology Management vii
diligence of our secretaries, Claire McCabe, Silvana de Sanctis, and
during an earlier period Ellis Campbel