Harnessing a Network of Experts for Competitive Advantage: Technology Scouting in the ICT Industry

R&D Management, Vol. 40, No. 2, pp. 169-180, 2010

11 Pages Posted: 8 Jan 2010 Last revised: 12 Jun 2014

Date Written: January 7, 2010

Abstract

In order to identify discontinuous technological change and develop appropriate action, companies are increasingly building technology foresight (TF) practices. This paper explores how, using networks of experts, technology foresight capabilities can be built. On the basis of three case studies and 43 interviews, it is shown that building foresight systems through networks of scouts yields several benefits, including the support for sourcing external technologies. Using insights from the three major telecommunication incumbents in Europe, the paper describes and discusses (1) what can be achieved by technology scouting, (2) how a process can be set up, (3) what is important in the design of a scouting network, and (4) the characteristics that should be aimed for when choosing technology scouts. The paper contributes to the methodological base of corporate foresight, to the technology management literature, and to the understanding of how companies can increase their open-innovation capabilities by extending the intertwinement with their environment.

Keywords: Technology Scouting, Technology Management, Innovation Management, Corporate Foresight, Open Innovation, Networks

JEL Classification: E17, M1, M19

Suggested Citation

Rohrbeck, René, Harnessing a Network of Experts for Competitive Advantage: Technology Scouting in the ICT Industry (January 7, 2010). R&D Management, Vol. 40, No. 2, pp. 169-180, 2010, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1532985

René Rohrbeck (Contact Author)

EDHEC Business School ( email )

France

HOME PAGE: http://edhec.edu

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