The role of technology monitoring to guide R&D programs: some Italian selected cases

Technology monitoring may take on different meanings in a company’s day to day activities. In some cases it can be interpreted as a technology intelligence methodology, while in others it is understood as technology forecasting or even as technology assessment. These different interpretations are confirmed by an analysis of the literature where there is little agreement on the definition and even the possible applications of technology monitoring. This paper presents the initial results of a research project conducted by the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Padua. The research project analysed the technology monitoring process in four Italian companies: two manufacturing companies and two private research centres. For each of the cases considered, first we analysed the way technology monitoring is carried out in each of the companies and then we tried to understand what factors influence each company’s approach to technology monitoring. Four factors that can be expected to influence a company’s technology monitoring approach came out of this empirical research study: the industry, the business model, the importance of technology in the corporate culture and the level of R&D resources. The role of technology monitoring both in the definition of research and development programs and in the planning process changes depending on these factors.