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Full-Text Articles in Science and Technology Studies

Forecasting Innovation Pathways For New And Emerging Science & Technologies, Douglas Kr Robinson, Lu Huang, Ying Guo, Alan L. Porter Jan 2013

Forecasting Innovation Pathways For New And Emerging Science & Technologies, Douglas Kr Robinson, Lu Huang, Ying Guo, Alan L. Porter

alan l porter

New & Emerging Science & Technologies (“NESTs”) promise tremendous innovation potential, but this is coupled with enormous uncertainties and often many unknowns. This paper offers a framework to analyze NESTs to help ascertain likely innovation pathways. We have devised a 10-step framework based on extensive Future-oriented Technology Analyses (“FTA”) experience, enriched by in-depth case analyses. In the paper, we describe our analytical activities in two case studies. The nanobiosensors experience is contrasted with that of deep brain stimulation in relative quantitative and qualitative emphases. We close the paper by reflecting on this systematic FTA framework for emerging science and technologies, …


Innovation Risk Path Assessing For A Newly Emerging Science & Technology: Illustrated For Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Tingting Ma, Ying Guo, Alan L. Porter Jan 2012

Innovation Risk Path Assessing For A Newly Emerging Science & Technology: Illustrated For Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Tingting Ma, Ying Guo, Alan L. Porter

alan l porter

For “Newly Emerging Science & Technologies” (“NESTs”), uncertainty is the major challenge. Technological innovation for NESTs faces many kinds of risks that dramatically affect their development paths. This paper combines methods of risk utility theory and technology path research and explores a new innovation risk path modeling method for NEST development. Here we apply selected tools from risk utility theory and technology path research to the NEST of special concern—Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs). The case for DSSC commercialization is promising, but challengeable. The prospects for future development of DSSCs are good, with identifiable markets. Multi-party collaboration appears necessary in order …


Text Clumping For Technical Intelligence, Alan L. Porter, Yi Zhang Jan 2012

Text Clumping For Technical Intelligence, Alan L. Porter, Yi Zhang

alan l porter

This chapter presents a stepwise process to clean and consolidate sizable phrase compilations. We focus on Science, Technology and Innovation (ST&I) information sets, typically in the form of abstract records retrieved from topical database searches (e.g., Web of Science, Derwent World Patent Index, Factiva). Our aim is to devise a semi-automated desktop process that can rapidly concentrate lists of informative terms and phrases. Those might then be reviewed by topic experts or otherwise processed to fuel further analyses to gain topic-intensive technical intelligence. We are expressly interested, as well, in further processing of such clumped phrases to generate interpretable topic …


Empirically Informing A Technology Delivery System Model For An Emerging Technology: Illustrated For Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Ying Guo, Chen Xu, Lu Huang, Alan L. Porter Jan 2012

Empirically Informing A Technology Delivery System Model For An Emerging Technology: Illustrated For Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Ying Guo, Chen Xu, Lu Huang, Alan L. Porter

alan l porter

This paper explores how to extract empirical knowledge from R&D, patent, and business literature compilations to help compose an innovation system model. It adapts the key elements and dynamics of “technology delivery system” modeling to a given Newly Emerging Science & Technology. We present a 10-step analytical approach to help characterize the technology, gauge its state of development, and depict the socio-technical system institutions and actors. We apply this to the case of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (“DSSCs”). A new “cross-charting” method appears effective at associating novel technology-enabled capabilities to gain functional advantages, and to link those functions to potential applications. …


Assessment Of Brazil’S Research Literature, David J. Schoeneck, Alan L. Porter, Ronald N. Kostoff, Elena M. Berger Jan 2011

Assessment Of Brazil’S Research Literature, David J. Schoeneck, Alan L. Porter, Ronald N. Kostoff, Elena M. Berger

alan l porter

This “country study” analyzes substantial samples of research papers by Brazilian authors drawn from two global databases. The approach and the findings may each be of interest. Our approach is to examine R&D outputs through bibliometrics (to identify key authors, institutions, journals, etc) and text mining with taxonomy generation (to identify pervasive research thrusts). We extend prior country studies by providing for interactive data access and exploring military-relevant R&D information. The resulting publication activity profiles provide insight on Brazilian R&D strengths and investment strategies, and help identify opportunities for collaboration. Brazil, a nation of 190 million, evidences a substantial research …


Mining External R&D, Alan L. Porter, Nils C. Newman Jan 2011

Mining External R&D, Alan L. Porter, Nils C. Newman

alan l porter

Open Innovation presses the case for timely and thorough intelligence concerning research and development activities conducted outside one’s organization. To take advantage of this wealth of R&D, one needs to establish a systematic “tech mining” process. We propose a 5-stage framework that extends literature review into research profiling and pattern recognition to answer posed technology management questions. Ultimately, one can even discover new knowledge by screening research databases. Once one determines the value in mining external R&D, tough issues remain to be overcome. Technology management has developed a culture that relies more on intuition than on evidence. Changing that culture …