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Editorial
Mark Dodgson
Professor; Director, Technology and Innovation Management Centre, University of Queensland Business School, St Lucia QLD
Article Text
Evidence, including statistics on R&D investment from international research policy agencies, suggests that industrial firms are increasingly using global research partnerships to strengthen their core competencies and expand into technology fields they consider critical for maintaining market share. In these partnerships, organizations can expand opportunities and share risks in emerging technologies and emerging markets.
This issue of R&D Enterprise-Asia Pacific looks at the challenges and opportunities of globalization and innovation in two industries traditionally considered less than innovative: the mining industry and the automotive industry. The broad-ranging article presented in this issue on the mining industry in the Southern Hemisphere shows that innovative responses are increasingly evident, both in management and in technological strategies. For example, modeling and simulation is increasingly replacing traditional exploration. This minerals industry needs to draw from global innovation management and technological knowledge to ensure the South remains a center of industry excellence, rather than a quarry.
The article by Baba and Gemba illustrates how the Japanese automobile manufacturers have worked with members of the local automotive components industry in Indonesia to develop mechanisms to foster collaborative learning. As is the case in many countries and many industries, involving suppliers in product design and development can result in product innovation and process efficiencies.
An important, often neglected aspect of new product development has been addressed by Ian Macfarlane in his informal, but informative, article on risk management. He urges organizations to form cross-functional teams with marketing, manufacturing, technical, and financial representatives, to ensure the organization is protected from loss or failure at many levels.
As is the case with every issue of the journal, reviews are included, and this issue focuses on a conference on commercializing outcomes of university research as well as on a new publication on managing telework, an increasingly important management challenge for organizations using virtual teams.
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