Technology Scouting – a case study on the Deutsche Telekom Laboratories

Technology Intelligence has become an important field of study in which a variety of different methods are discussed, all aiming at identifying opportunities and threats arising from advances in technology. In this respect, Technology Scouting is a method which can lower the time lag between the advances in technology and their detection by methods such as patent or publication analysis. Furthermore, in an environment of increasing technological complexity and the globalization of R&D, the successful identification and usage of external sources of knowledge is becoming increasingly important. In the sourcing of technology the scouts can also play an important role in identifying valuable sources and facilitate the sourcing. Based on two case studies of the Deutsche Telekom and British Telecom, as well as a literature review, the paper proposes a definition of Technology Scouting, a generic process, and identifies the motivations of the actors in the process.technology intelligence, technological forecasting, technology foresight; technology scouting; technology exploration; strategic foresight; technology monitoring; technology scanning

Making university-industry collaboration work - a case study on the Deutsche Telekom Laboratories contrasted with findings in literature

The growing competition in consumer as well as business customer markets is forcing industry to explore new ways to foster product and service innovations. To increase the clock speed of incremental innovations and raise the number of radical innovations, university-industry collaborations (UIC) are a powerful means discussed by practitioners as well as by scholars. This paper discusses the approach of the Deutsche Telekom Group (DTAG) of building a UIC by creating a separate organization. This organization consists of R&D personnel both from industry and academia and proves to be effective in channelling innovation potential. Being an organization with its own identity and situated on university premises, the Deutsche Telekom Laboratories (DT Laboratories) offer different ways to overcome the cultural, institutional and operational barriers associated with UIC. The case study validates and challenges findings on UIC in literature. The paper closes with practical advices for the establishment and management of UIC and suggestions for further research in this field.university–industry collaboration; technology transfer; technological innovation; basic research; applied research; innovation development; radical innovations; incremental innovations; technology intelligence; explorative capabilities; university-industry research center (UIRC)

Strategic Foresight in multinational enterprises – a case study on the Deutsche Telekom Laboratories

Strategic Foresight activities enable companies to use weak signals to identify opportunities and threats. Research on Strategic Foresight proposes different methods, discusses their implementation and gives recommendations on how to link Strategic Foresight with other functions in an organization. Based on a literature review, we define a generic framework for the management of Strategic Foresight activities on the strategic, tactical and operational level and identify and discuss actors, methods and systems of Strategic Foresight. Building on an in-depth case study of the Deutsche Telekom Laboratories we shed light on the implementation of Strategic Foresight activities. In the discussion we focus on the interaction of methods from Consumer Foresight and Technology Intelligence. Taking an example project, we explore how Strategic Foresight is used on the operational level of innovation management. We conclude that Strategic Foresight can successfully contribute to coping with uncertainty and complexity and can feed the front-end of innovation from the market (customer needs) and technology (realization opportunities) perspective.strategic foresight; consumer foresight; technology foresight; technology intelligence; market foresight; trend analysis; future studies; future analysis; telecommunication industry

Combining spin-out and spin-in activities – the spin-along approach

After a long period of restructuring and outsourcing, companies are increasingly looking for new growth opportunities. Growth with existing prod-ucts or by expansion in new markets is limited. Therefore, companies are searching for ways to expand their activities in new businesses. A frequently used tool of multinational enterprises is corporate venturing. Within cor-porate venturing a further differentiation can be made in internal venturing and external venturing. Internal venturing promotes business ideas generated within the organization whereas external venturing promotes business ideas developed outside the company. Research has been able to show that venturing activi-ties both internal and external can create value. In this paper we explore a special case of venturing which we call the ‘spin-along approach’. It can be seen as a combination of internal and external ven-turing. In the spin-along approach, a company encourages its employees to take their business idea external and to found a company. Successful companies might later be bought back and integrated into the parent company or the paren-tal will exit the company by selling its equity share. Through literature re-view we have identified different motivations, best practices, and barriers to the successful implementation of a spin-along approach. Furthermore, two case studies will be discussed and compared. We conclude that the approach can successfully complement internal innovation management.Corporate venturing; spin-along; venture leader; spin-out; spin-in; Deutsche Telekom Laboratories; Cisco Systems

Technology Scouting – a case study on the Deutsche Telekom Laboratories

Technology Intelligence has become an important field of study in which a variety of different methods are discussed, all aiming at identifying opportunities and threats arising from advances in technology. In this respect, Technology Scouting is a method which can lower the time lag between the advances in technology and their detection by methods such as patent or publication analysis. Furthermore, in an environment of increasing technological complexity and the globalization of R&D, the successful identification and usage of external sources of knowledge is becoming increasingly important. In the sourcing of technology the scouts can also play an important role in identifying valuable sources and facilitate the sourcing. Based on two case studies of the Deutsche Telekom and British Telecom, as well as a literature review, the paper proposes a definition of Technology Scouting, a generic process, and identifies the motivations of the actors in the process

Veille stratégique en entreprise multinationale - Une étude de cas auprès de la Deutsche Telekom AG

English ------- In today’s fast changing environment large companies need to be fast and flexible to compete successfully against smaller, more agile competitors. Strategic Foresight encompasses a set of tools, processes and organisation forms that enable large companies to identify, assess, and act upon opportunities and threats, that have been identified by weak signals in the periphery. Companies using Strategic Foresight aim at enhancing their innovation capacity, manage disruptions, and shape the future by creating trends favourable to their business model or to their expansion strategy. Based on a literature review, we define a generic framework for the management of strategic foresight activities on the strategic, tactical and operational level and identify and discuss actors, methods and systems of strategic foresight. Furthermore building on an in-depth case study of the Deutsche Telekom Laboratories we shed light on the implementation of strategic foresight activities. Taking an exemplary project based on opportunities that have been identified by strategic foresight activities, we explore how the different insights have been combined to create the innovation concept and project proposal. We conclude that strategic foresight can successfully contribute to improving the innovation capacity of a firm by combining impulses from the market (customer needs) and technology (realization opportunities) perspective. French ------ Dans un environnement concurrentiel et en forte évolution technologique les grandes entreprises doivent réagir en temps réel pour s’imposer face à des concurrents petits et flexibles. La veille technologique propose des méthodes, des outils, des procédures et des formes d’organisation, qui permettent aux grandes entreprises, à partir de signaux faibles d’identifier et de traiter les opportunités et les risques. Les entreprises utilisant la veille stratégique améliorent leur capacité d’innovation, leur management de disruption et leurs capacités d'influencer l'avenir en jouant sur les tendances du marché qui sont favorables à leur stratégie d’expansion et leur « business plan ». A partir d’une analyse littéraire nous construisons un modèle, qui distingue les niveaux opérationnel, tactique et stratégique. Simultanément nous identifions les acteurs, les méthodes et les systèmes de la veille stratégique. Par une étude de cas élaborée avec les Laboratoires Deutsche Telekom nous discutons la mise en place de la veille stratégique. Grace à l’analyse d’un projet issu d’une impulsion de la veille stratégique, nous étudions la manière dont les informations de la veille ont été combiné pour générer un concept d’innovation et une proposition de projet. En conclusion nous pouvons montrer que la veille stratégique – en combinant des impulsions du marché (besoin du consommateur) et des impulsions technologiques (capacité de réalisation) – peut augmenter la capacité d’innovation

Veille stratégique en entreprise multinationale - Une étude de cas auprès de la Deutsche Telekom AG

English ------- In today’s fast changing environment large companies need to be fast and flexible to compete successfully against smaller, more agile competitors. Strategic Foresight encompasses a set of tools, processes and organisation forms that enable large companies to identify, assess, and act upon opportunities and threats, that have been identified by weak signals in the periphery. Companies using Strategic Foresight aim at enhancing their innovation capacity, manage disruptions, and shape the future by creating trends favourable to their business model or to their expansion strategy. Based on a literature review, we define a generic framework for the management of strategic foresight activities on the strategic, tactical and operational level and identify and discuss actors, methods and systems of strategic foresight. Furthermore building on an in-depth case study of the Deutsche Telekom Laboratories we shed light on the implementation of strategic foresight activities. Taking an exemplary project based on opportunities that have been identified by strategic foresight activities, we explore how the different insights have been combined to create the innovation concept and project proposal. We conclude that strategic foresight can successfully contribute to improving the innovation capacity of a firm by combining impulses from the market (customer needs) and technology (realization opportunities) perspective. French ------ Dans un environnement concurrentiel et en forte évolution technologique les grandes entreprises doivent réagir en temps réel pour s’imposer face à des concurrents petits et flexibles. La veille technologique propose des méthodes, des outils, des procédures et des formes d’organisation, qui permettent aux grandes entreprises, à partir de signaux faibles d’identifier et de traiter les opportunités et les risques. Les entreprises utilisant la veille stratégique améliorent leur capacité d’innovation, leur management de disruption et leurs capacités d'influencer l'avenir en jouant sur les tendances du marché qui sont favorables à leur stratégie d’expansion et leur « business plan ». A partir d’une analyse littéraire nous construisons un modèle, qui distingue les niveaux opérationnel, tactique et stratégique. Simultanément nous identifions les acteurs, les méthodes et les systèmes de la veille stratégique. Par une étude de cas élaborée avec les Laboratoires Deutsche Telekom nous discutons la mise en place de la veille stratégique. Grace à l’analyse d’un projet issu d’une impulsion de la veille stratégique, nous étudions la manière dont les informations de la veille ont été combiné pour générer un concept d’innovation et une proposition de projet. En conclusion nous pouvons montrer que la veille stratégique – en combinant des impulsions du marché (besoin du consommateur) et des impulsions technologiques (capacité de réalisation) – peut augmenter la capacité d’innovation

Making university-industry collaboration work - a case study on the Deutsche Telekom Laboratories contrasted with findings in literature

The growing competition in consumer as well as business customer markets is forcing industry to explore new ways to foster product and service innovations. To increase the clock speed of incremental innovations and raise the number of radical innovations, university-industry collaborations (UIC) are a powerful means discussed by practitioners as well as by scholars. This paper discusses the approach of the Deutsche Telekom Group (DTAG) of building a UIC by creating a separate organization. This organization consists of R&D personnel both from industry and academia and proves to be effective in channelling innovation potential. Being an organization with its own identity and situated on university premises, the Deutsche Telekom Laboratories (DT Laboratories) offer different ways to overcome the cultural, institutional and operational barriers associated with UIC. The case study validates and challenges findings on UIC in literature. The paper closes with practical advices for the establishment and management of UIC and suggestions for further research in this field

Making university-industry collaboration work - a case study on the Deutsche Telekom Laboratories contrasted with findings in literature

The growing competition in consumer as well as business customer markets is forcing industry to explore new ways to foster product and service innovations. To increase the clock speed of incremental innovations and raise the number of radical innovations, university-industry collaborations (UIC) are a powerful means discussed by practitioners as well as by scholars. This paper discusses the approach of the Deutsche Telekom Group (DTAG) of building a UIC by creating a separate organization. This organization consists of R&D personnel both from industry and academia and proves to be effective in channelling innovation potential. Being an organization with its own identity and situated on university premises, the Deutsche Telekom Laboratories (DT Laboratories) offer different ways to overcome the cultural, institutional and operational barriers associated with UIC. The case study validates and challenges findings on UIC in literature. The paper closes with practical advices for the establishment and management of UIC and suggestions for further research in this field