Corporate sustainability

 

This research explores the challenge organisations have in evaluating the complex issues surrounding sustainability when devising their business strategy. His aim for the research is to build the business case for organisations transitioning to more sustainable practices to minimise their exposure to risks arising from long term sustainability trends. (Elliott More)

 

Dynamic platform strategy

 

This research focuses on the platform owners' strategic choice in response to the changing environment, exploring the context of the interaction and influence of platform strategies, dynamic capabilities and environmental factors on firms' management performance.

(Chung-Lin Tsai)

 

Implementation of additive manufacturing technologies for mass customisation

 

The PhD aims to explore how companies implement additive manufacturing technologies for production strategies such as mass customisation. The research focuses on enterprises that operate the technologies for higher scale production volumes and on companies that manufacture additive manufacturing systems. Research insights gathered throughout the PhD will help with the development of a framework for implementation. (Dominik Deradjat)

 

Manufacturing excellent engineers: Complex skill development

 

The purpose of this part-time PhD is to develop a better understanding of skill development in Higher Education (HE) with particular reference to more complex skills used in work related contexts. The IfM postgraduate Industrial Systems, Manufacturing and Management MPhil Programme is being used as a case study for this research. The work so far has resulted in:

• a preliminary skills development framework aimed at teaching staff
• a framework which describes the activities typically required of students whilst undertaking their short industrial placements. This is aimed at supporting both staff and students and is already being used in IfM programmes. (Judith Shawcross)

  

Technology management through strategic ambidexterity

 

This research explores how strategic ambidexterity affects the performance of corporate venturing firms. (Dayo Abinusawa)

 

Technology selection in the mission critical communications industry

 

This research aims to explore the challenges that organisations face during the technology selection process in complex business environments, the focus is on the systems customer's perspective in the mission critical communications industry. The aim is to develop a technology selection framework and to understand how different stakeholders affect the choice of technology. (Ahmed Mashhour)

 

Technology management tool configuration

 

Numerous tools have been developed to assist technology managers in their tasks. Examples include: portfolio tools, technology roadmapping, scenario analysis, quality function deployment, and benchmark methods. Management tools can be powerful only if they are suited to the problem and context of application. Thus, customising tools requires a careful analysis of the problem and the environment of the firm. In my studies I am investigating how technology management tools can be configured to suit the individual context of the firm. The idea is to provide managers with a guideline that points out the important factors that should be taken into consideration before a tool is configured. (Jan-Niklas Keltsch) 

 

Towards Flexible Management for the Fuzzy Front-End of Innovation

 

The early phases of the innovation process, also known as the fuzzy front-end, have been a challenge for every business that intends to compete through product innovation. Several studies have explored the front-end, with progress regarding description of its features, activities, barriers, best practices, tools, methods, etc. Nevertheless, companies still face problems in managing it effectively. (Maicon Oliveira, visiting Doctoral student) 

 

The Technology Management Compass

 

This work deals with the role of senior technology and innovation executives in planning for, and reacting to, discontinuities. The ongoing interest in this research hinges on the application of a framework called the "Technology Management Compass" which supports practitioner decision-making when planning or reacting to discontinuities (called "Technology Transition Points" in the research). (Dr Chris van der Hoven)

 

Developing a framework for depicting the radical innovation process in established firms

 

A framework has been developed which defines and depicts the radical innovation process throughout the lifecycle from early concept to maturity, considering technology, market, management, business, partnering and finance aspects. (Dr Lan Tao) 

 

Commercialisation of advanced material innovations

 

Commercialisation of new technologies from university origins, specifically advanced material innovations (Dr Sarah Lubik)

 

Consequences of Entrepreneurial Failure

 

There is a high failure rate among technology ventures, but what happens to entrepreneurs who fail? What do they learn and what do they do next? Keith Cotterill is conducting phenomenological research for his doctorate in this domain, examining the experience of such entrepreneurs in Cambridge, Munich and Silicon Valley. (Keith Cotterill)

 

Risk handling in roadmapping

 

This research seeks to improve the way in which risk is dealt with in roadmapping initiatives, focusing on business strategy and sector level foresight applications. (Imoh Ilevbare)

 

Characteristics of R&D organisations and performance of technology intelligence

 

This research investigates the relationships between a variety of characteristics of R&D organisations and performance of technology intelligence. At the heart of the suggested approach is computer simulation that is relatively free from data constraints and permits one to study a problem at several different level of abstraction. Specifically, an agent-based model is employed to consider the mechanism of information provision in technology intelligence. (Changyong Lee: Visitor to CTM)

 

Technology acquisition through collaboration 

 

This research is exploring the conditions that enable successful technology acquisition through collaborative means when early stage technologies are involved, including consideration of the characteristics of the technology and perspectives of both technology provider and receiver firms. (Victor Ortiz)

 

Strengthening the relationships between R&D and marketing

 

The impact of innovation management consultancy services on intra-organisational relationship is difficult to measure. This research project aims to determine the potential impact areas of these consultancy services on the relationship between R&D and marketing,within large companies. (Luzselene Rincon)

 

Technology management: design and customisation of analytical tools

 

The focus of this study is the link between the technological base of a firm, its technology strategy and corporate strategy as well as the interaction and influence of these elements during the strategy formulation process. The main academic interest lies in the supportive tools for these strategic planning processes, such as roadmapping and portfolio methods. (Clemens Chaskel)