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Technology Management

» Background

Organizations of all shapes and sizes need to adapt to survive. Its sobering fact, but experience shows that those firms that fail to learn and change are not likely to succeed. Change is an imperative for the 21st century, with pressure for change coming from all directions: increasing competition, the changing basis of competitiveness shifting patterns of legislation and regulation, tumbling trade barriers, globalization policies of large firms, fragmentation of market, etc.

Of course, it is not all bad news; at the same time as the threats have grown, so too have the opportunities in the environment. New markets are opening up, new technologies are shift the patterns of opportunity. Lowering entry barriers and making possible widespread innovation. Agile firms that are aware of these opportunities and react early enough can use the changing external would as a springboard to growth.

Central to all this is the need of managing technology as a for adapting and surviving. Proper technology management offers powerful ways to fight the competitive battle; it contributes in several ways. For example, research evidence suggests a strong correlation between market performance and new products. New products help capture and retain market share and increase profitability in those market. In the case of more mature and established products, competitive sales growth comes mot simply from being able to offer low prices, but also from a variety of non-price factors such as design, customization and quality. And in a world of shortening product life cycles, being able to replace products frequently with better versions is increasingly important. “Competing in time” reflects a growing pressure on firms not just to introduce new products but to do so faster then their competitors.

Whilst new products are often seen as the cutting edge of innovation in the marketplace, process innovation plays just as important a strategic role. Being able to make something no one else can, or to do so in ways that are better then anyone else offers, is a powerful source of advantage. Similarly, being able to offer better service faster, cheaper, with higher quality has long been seen as a source of competitive edge.

Technology Management is the discipline that tries to explore all these aspects in a concerted approach, enabling the decision maker (entrepreneur) to minimize the risk while identifying and benefiting from available opportunities.

» Objectives

To provide managers of SMEs with a broad overview of the major aspects related to technology management at enterprise level in order to enable them to define a company technology strategy suitable to better compete in their national, regional or global market.

To strengthen the capacity of the identified institutions counterpart provide better services to the national entrepreneurs for becoming more sustainable and competitive national and regional level.

To expose participant to UNIDO/ICS teaching materials, tools and methodologies in Technology Management and Transfer.

To raise awareness for continuous training courses on Technology Management and related topies.

» Participants

Participants attending the training course will be selected among the local entrepreneurs. In addition to the private company management also public enterprises decision makers and technology researchers will be welcome to attend. To all participants will be distributed a questionnaire, to which everybody will have to answer in order to enable the lecturing team to better understand the various technology management company needs and priorities.

» Main subjects

The UNIDO/ICS training manual on Technology Management deals with the following subjects:

◊ Signals for change

This session deals with the environment which triggers technological change and looks at how successful organizations pick up and make sense of relevant signals about threats and opportunities.

◊ Technology strategy

- how the firm analyses signals about potential threats and opportunities involving technological change;

- how it chooses between different potential options;

- how it plans for the resourcing and implementation of those choices.

◊ Technology Acquisition

This session, focusing on the intellectual property aspect, explores the different routes through which a firm can acquire the technological knowledge it needs to exploit strategic options.

◊ Implementing Technology

This session will explore the issues surrounding effective implementation of technological changes which have been strategically selected.

◊ Learning to Improve Technology Management

This session will explore the ways in which organizations can capture learning from technology management projects and develop improved capabilities for future projects.

» Course Outline

Day 1

• Session 1: Global Technology Scene.

• Session 2: Technology and Business Strategy.

Day 2

• Session 3: Programme on Technology Management.

• Session 4: Technology Management for SMEs.
• Session 5: Technology out-sourcing & selection.
• Session 6: Case Study 1.

Day 3

• Session 7: Acquisition & Transfer of Technology.

• Session 8: Technology implementation in developing countries.
• Session 9: Information Technology & Technology Management.
• Session 10: Technology Foresight.

Day 4

• Session 11: Case Study 2 – Technology Implementation.