Technology scouting is an element of
technology management
Technology management refers to the integrated planning, design, optimization, operation and control of technological products, processes and services, in order to manage of the use of technology for human advantage. It contains a number of manag ...
in which
:(1)
emerging technologies
Emerging technologies are technology, technologies whose development, practical applications, or both are still largely unrealized. These technologies are generally innovation, new but also include old technologies finding new applications. Emer ...
are identified,
:(2) technology related information is channeled into an organization, and
:(3) supports the acquisition of technologies.
It is a starting point of a long term and interactive matching process between external technologies and internal requirements of an existing organization for strategic purposes. This matching may also be aided by
technology roadmap
A technology roadmap is a flexible planning schedule to support strategic and long-range planning, by matching short-term and long-term goals with specific technology solutions. It is a plan that applies to a new product or process and may include ...
ping. Technology scouting is also known to be part of
competitive intelligence
Competitive intelligence (CI) is the process and forward-looking practices used in producing knowledge about the competitive environment to improve organizational performance. Competitive intelligence involves systematically collecting and anal ...
, which firms apply as a tool of competitive strategy. It can also be regarded as a method of
technology forecasting
Technology forecasting attempts to predict the future characteristics of useful technological machines, procedures or wikt:technique, techniques. Researchers create technology forecasts based on past experience and current technological developmen ...
or in the broader context also an element of
corporate foresight
Corporate foresight has been conceptualised by strategic foresight practitioners and academics working and/or studying corporations as a set of practices, a set of capabilities and an ability of a firm. It enables firms to detect discontinuous cha ...
.
[Rohrbeck, Rene (2010) ''Corporate Foresight: Towards a Maturity Model for the Future Orientation of a Firm'', Physica-Verlag, Heidelberg and New York, ] Technology scouting may also be applied as an element of an open innovation approach. Technology scouting is seen as an essential element of a modern technology management system.
The technology scout is either an employee of the company or an external consultant who engages in
boundary spanning processes to tap into novel knowledge and span internal boundaries. They may be assigned part-time or full-time to the scouting task. The desired characteristics of a technology scout are similar to the characteristics associated with the technological gatekeeper. These characteristics include being a
lateral thinker, knowledgeable in science and technology, respected inside the company, cross-disciplinary orientated, and imaginative personality.
Technology scouts would also often play a vital role in a formalised technology foresight process.
Case studies
Documented case studies include:
See also
*
Corporate Foresight
Corporate foresight has been conceptualised by strategic foresight practitioners and academics working and/or studying corporations as a set of practices, a set of capabilities and an ability of a firm. It enables firms to detect discontinuous cha ...
*
Foresight (futures studies)
Foresight most commonly refers to:
* Foresight (psychology), the ability to predict or plan for the future
* Mental time travel or episodic foresight, the ability to reconstruct events from the past and imagine future events
* Precognition, a cl ...
*
Futurology
Futures studies, futures research or futurology is the systematic, interdisciplinary and holistic study of social and technological advancement, and other environmental trends, often for the purpose of exploring how people will live and wor ...
*
Horizon scanning
Horizon scanning (HS) or horizon scan is a method from futures studies, sometimes regarded as a part of foresight. It is the early detection and assessment of emerging technologies or threats for mainly policy makers in a domain of choice. Su ...
*
Scientific lacuna
*
Strategic foresight
*
Technology Management
Technology management refers to the integrated planning, design, optimization, operation and control of technological products, processes and services, in order to manage of the use of technology for human advantage. It contains a number of manag ...
References
Scientific Journals
*
Technological Forecasting and Social Change
''Technological Forecasting and Social Change'' (formerly ''Technological Forecasting'') is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Elsevier covering futures studies, technology assessment, and technology forecasting. Articles focus on method ...
*
Futures
Futures may mean:
Finance
*Futures contract, a tradable financial derivatives contract
*Futures exchange, a financial market where futures contracts are traded
*''Modern Trader'', formerly Futures, an American finance magazine
Music
* ''Futures' ...
*
Futures & Foresight Science
''Futures & Foresight Science'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal published by Wiley. It covers research on advancing methods that aid anticipating the future. The journal was established in 2019 by founding editor-in-chief George Wrig ...
*
Foresight
*
Journal of Futures Studies
The ''Journal of Futures Studies'' (JFS) is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal in the discipline of futures studies. It is published by Tamkang University Press on behalf of the Graduate Institute of Futures Studies at Tamkang Universit ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Technology scouting
Strategic management
Technological change
Technology forecasting
Technology assessment
fr:Veille technologique