Title: Sources of information used in technology planning in the upstream environment of the electronics industry

Authors: Bruce A. Vojak, Carlos A. Suarez-Nunez

Addresses: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Department of General Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 306B Engineering Hall, MC-266, 1308 West Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. ' Department of General Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 117 Transportation Building, MC-238, 104 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, USA

Abstract: An exploratory survey of participants in the upstream environment of the electronics industry has been conducted to identify and characterise most frequently used practices regarding the sources of information used in technology planning in these industries. Based on 818 responses, we find that the general dimensions of technology intelligence gathering hold independent of time frame to commercialisation. Further, intelligence gathering in support of technology planning in the short-term time frame to commercialisation (one year or less) is dominated by information obtained from direct interactions with customers, while such intelligence gathering in the long-term time frame to commercialisation (three to five years) is dominated by insight from visionaries. Both geographic and organisational level demographic differences were observed in the same factors in both the short-term and long-term time frames to commercialisation.

Keywords: technology intelligence; technology planning; technology forecasting; technology roadmapping; electronics industry; information sources; commercialisation; corporate information; knowledge acquisition; technology management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTIP.2005.008587

International Journal of Technology Intelligence and Planning, 2005 Vol.1 No.4, pp.441 - 455

Published online: 04 Jan 2006 *

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