Title: Linking business strategy to technology strategies: a prerequisite to the R&D priorities determination

Authors: Michel Vernet, Mohammed Reza Arasti

Addresses: Department of Industrial Engineering, Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble (INPG), avenue Felix Viallet, F-38031 Grenoble cedex, France. Institute for Research in Planning and Development (IRPD), 19395/4647, Tehran, Iran

Abstract: Choice of priorities in technology development is an important prerequisite for any R&D program (including R&D collaboration). The strategic management of technology is described as an approach that helps to link business strategy to technology strategy, and allows then the ranking of R&D subject priorities in coherence with the firm|s overall strategy. Some strategy analysis models are assessed to show how this problem is incorporated and dealt with in the management literature. Then, the need for an integrated approach is pointed out, and an analytical method is developed to help firms in selecting their priorities in technology development and the way to investment in them. Finally, the usefulness of the proposed method is illustrated through its application to a French company.

Keywords: strategic management of technology; business and technology strategies; technology portfolio analysis; R&D projects; priority.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.1999.002776

International Journal of Technology Management, 1999 Vol.18 No.3/4, pp.293-307

Published online: 06 Jul 2003 *

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