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Editorial
Mark Dodgson
Professor; Director, Technology and Innovation Management Centre, University of Queensland Business School, St Lucia QLD
Abstract
This issue of R&D Enterprise - Asia Pacific presents insights into research commercialisation and product development from a mix of industry and academic experts. It begins with an overview of an industry currently investing heavily in R&D, biotechnology, from one of that industry's best known gurus: Steven Burrill's conversational style makes developments and opportunities in that industry more transparent, even for outsiders.
Based on Korean experience, Tim Janis gives some important suggestions regarding how companies can make the most of investing in techmarts, an increasingly common technology transfer mechanism in APEC countries.
Graham Bell's article is a useful follow-on to recent articles on managing the risky challenges of launching food products in new Asian markets; it offers valuable pointers for other industries as well.
Developers of innovative technologies which may hold unanticipated consequences for consumers and other stakeholders must pay close attention to how policy makers are likely to react to news of these consequences as they may intervene to regulate the nature and rate of diffusion of the innovation. To ensure successful acceptance of the innovation, developers must carefully manage the process of "innovation learning", through which the technology's impacts are interpreted. It is not sufficient to merely manage the technology. Developers must also manage the learning process of consumers and policymakers. Peter Wilton's rigorously researched technical article reminds us that communicating about technological developments is a complex mix of content, audience preconceptions, probable application of the information, among other factors. The use of digital media makes this mix more complex still. His article deserves the concentration of policy makers its detail requires.
Finally, our best practice publication and conference reviews are particularly interesting in this issue. Features include guidelines from the UK on managing industry-university relationships and best practice in the USA on the services incubators can offer technology-based start-ups. R&D Enterprise- Asia Pacific not only offers its readers an evaluation of publications and events, but we also abstract the critical points we believe our readers can apply to their own innovation management challenges. Similarly, Gary Lundquist's article on the recent Atlanta Tech Transfer Society/Product Development Management Association conference on Linking new technologies to market windows is more than a review; it is a useful guide to mechanisms used in innovative US companies.
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