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Directing the technology intelligence activity: An ‘information needs’ template for initiating the search

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  • Kerr, Clive
  • Phaal, Robert

Abstract

In technology-intensive sectors, strategic planning requires relevant and timely information about new/emerging technologies – this is a critical input. Therefore, technology intelligence activities should be directed to capture and deliver pertinent technological information. However, there is a distinct lack of tools for helping organizations to determine what constitutes useful/appropriate information for their needs. To address this issue, an ‘information needs’ template has been developed to support the process of eliciting and articulating meaningful search queries to guide those who will conduct and provide the necessary intelligence. The use of the template also acts as a means of priming the technology intelligence as it identifies and points to potentially useful sources of knowledge. It covers the spectrum of sources from leveraging internal information, through spanning organizational boundaries to access external sources across the specific industry and neighboring industries, to more distant fields of knowledge. Additionally, the template has sections for distinguishing ‘who to watch’ versus ‘who to talk to’. The deployment of the template can be integrated with roadmapping, using the roadmap landscape to feed hotspots/themes/gaps/white spaces into the template, which are then unpacked to determine the information needs of the organization.

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  • Kerr, Clive & Phaal, Robert, 2018. "Directing the technology intelligence activity: An ‘information needs’ template for initiating the search," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 265-276.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:134:y:2018:i:c:p:265-276
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2018.06.033
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    1. Chakraborty, Swagata & Nijssen, Edwin J. & Valkenburg, Rianne, 2022. "A systematic review of industry-level applications of technology roadmapping: Evaluation and design propositions for roadmapping practitioners," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    2. Park, Hyunkyu & Phaal, Rob & Ho, Jae-Yun & O'Sullivan, Eoin, 2020. "Twenty years of technology and strategic roadmapping research: A school of thought perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).

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