Title: Using the fuzzy analytic network process for selecting technology R&D projects

Authors: Chi-Cheng Huang, Pin-Yu Chu

Addresses: Department of Technology Management, Aletheia University, 70-11 Pei-Shih-Liao, Matou, Tainan 721, Taiwan. ' Department of Public Administration, National Chengchi University, No. 64, Sec. 2, ZhiNan Rd., Wenshan District, Taipei 116, Taiwan

Abstract: Technology development programs have proven to be useful strategies for governments to encourage private firms to undertake R&D projects. Due to limited budgets, a government must select proper R&D projects for funding. R&D project selection is full of uncertainty and can be viewed as a multiple-criteria decision that is normally made by a review committee. In this study, we propose a fuzzy analytic network process method to handle interdependency among evaluation criteria and integrate the divergent judgements of experts in a R&D project selection committee. Our findings suggest that |scientific and technological merit| and |project execution| are the most important criteria and, moreover, indicate that the relative importance of evaluation criteria changes in different degrees of uncertainty.

Keywords: technology R&D; R&D projects; fuzzy ANP; analytical network process; project selection; research and development; technology development; multicriteria decision making; MCDM; interdependency; uncertainty.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2011.037239

International Journal of Technology Management, 2011 Vol.53 No.1, pp.89 - 115

Published online: 06 Apr 2013 *

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