Assessing the technological capabilities of firms: developing a policy tool

Howard Rush, John Bessant, Michael Hobday

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The development of technological capabilities results from an extended learning process and external policy agents can play an important role in its development. This paper outlines trends in governmental and non-governmental policy initiatives and the use of concepts such as capability and absorptive capacity, which are positioned within generic-staged models of capability maturity. This paper describes the development of a technology capability assessment/audit tool that has been designed to help locate firms within four archetypes based upon their level of maturity on nine key dimensions of the management of technology. The tool is intended to help bridge the gap between our theoretical understanding of the principles of technology management and policy practice – allowing policy makers to design mechanisms that focus resources in areas of greatest need through the appropriate selection of policy mechanisms and the targeted design of policy. The use of this tool in field experiments is described along with the implications for policy making.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)221-236
Number of pages16
JournalR&D Management
Volume37
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2007

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Assessing the technological capabilities of firms: developing a policy tool'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this