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Past literature on the development of new technology-based firms (NTBF) within business incubators suggests that the incubation process of these ventures includes both business and technical assistance. In addition, past literature suggests that this assistance is accessible through direct and networking interactions with the incubator management. However, research on the influence of each of these types of interactions on the types of beneficial assistance gained by ventures is unclear. Drawing predominately from social capital theory, this study examines the role of counseling and networking interactions with incubator management on both beneficial business and technical assistance for NTBFs. Results of this study suggest that business assistance, in the form of venture learning about buyer preferences, is best enabled through counseling interactions with incubator management. Learning buyer preferences was not enabled through networking interactions. Technical assistance, in the form of venture learning technological know-how skills, is best enabled through networking interactions with incubator management. Learning technological know-how skills was not enabled through counseling interactions. This study, therefore, highlights the importance and a clearer distinction of how both counseling and networking interactions with incubator management enable the incubation process of new ventures.

University research centers can be beneficial to industrial firms by providing firms with a number of relationship alternatives that facilitate the advancement of knowledge and new technologies. This multi-method field study indicates that larger more mechanistic firms especially those in resource intense industrial sectors use knowledge transfer and research support relationships to build competencies in non-core technological areas. In contrast, smaller more organic firms particularly those in high tech industrial sectors focus more on problem solving in core technological areas through technology transfer and cooperative research relationships. We also found that champions at the firm play a key role in these dynamics. Implications for industry and universities are discussed.

The paper explores the strategies of biotechnology firms in the U.S. through a mail questionnaire study. Based on the responses of 89 companies we have developed strategy archetypes of these firms in R&D, marketing, and technology acquisition. In R&D, we found the firms to follow either incremental or radical strategy. In marketing, the firms use either a defender or an innovator strategy. In technology acquisition, firms differ in terms of their emphasis on licensing or developing new technology. The interrelationship among the strategy groups is weak. The R&D and technology acquisition strategies are related in the sense that aggressive technology strategy dictates radical R&D behavior with emphasis on development of new technology. We have found that firms following aggressive technology strategy tend to follow conservative marketing strategy. This is consistent with an earlier study by of German firms where it was found that firms tend to balance their technical and marketing risks. The paper also provides additional information about the factors considered to be important in product decisions for various strategies.

The relationship between innovation and productivity growth in the chemical, textile and machine tool industries is explored here. Information about innovations has been obtained from published sources. Although the linkage between innovation and productivity can be a complex one, it is observed that the slowdown of the productivity growth in the chemical industry coincided with a significant slowdown in innovation. An opposite trend is observed in the textile industry. Although the machine tool industry showed an increase in innovation, the productivity growth slowed down consistently during 1967–1984. Cyclical fluctuation in the demand for machine tools might have created a difficult problem. Moreover, the small companies which were interested in producing machines for special purposes used labor intensive processes which did little to improve productivity and their excess wage could not be reflected in the price because of intense competition. The impact of environmental and other governmental regulations on innovation in the chemical and textile industry is also discussed.

This study focused on the managerial perceptions of the success of corporate mergers and acquisitions as a means of acquiring new technologies. Based on the data from 31 acquisitions, it was found that the professed motives were rarely achieved. We found that a proactive and aggressive R & D posture in the postacquisition period was positively related with performance. Improved post-acquisition performance was related with competitive environment, which necessitated incremental changes in improvements of products and production processes. Sharing of corporate technology with the acquired division improved the division's performance. Marketing help from the corporation also improved division's performance. Finally, organizational integration without an excessive increase of formalization was found to be key to enhance the performance of the acquired division.

This paper presents and discusses the data obtained from a study of 500 industrial innovations introduced in major industrialized countries from 1953 to 1973. The trends in industrial innovation of both the country of origin and the country of market introduction are examined based on the data presented.

Based on questionaire responses from clients who have taken over indiginous technologies for commercialisation, an attempt has been made to identify and assess the relative magnitude and impact of the positive and negative factors influencing technology trnsfers. Parameters dealt with in this study relate to: (a) problems of time-lag; (b) the status, nature and extent of development of technologies; (c) sources of help in the commercial implementation of the technologies; (d) qualitative aspects of factors, such as plant design, operational difficulties, market demand and post-trnsfer assistance given by the transferring institutions; (e) capital investment needed for commercialisation of the technologies;p and (f) the general reaction of the clients to the technology transferred. The conclusions deal with minimising time-consuming procedural interlinks, selection of clients, avoidable managerial lapses in project selection, improving and augmenting the design and engineering capability of the transferring institutions, and uniform wxtension of post-transfer services to the clients.

The authors explore the nature and structure of the information industry supplying the industrial product market. They examine the means by which current scientific and technological information can be obtained, and the implication for industrial users.

The role of government in stimulating, controlling and nurturing the innovation process is a controversial one. Proponents of the free enterprise system, many of whom are spokes- persons for various industries, have persistently pointed out the deleterious effects of regulation and control on the innovation process. By contrast, advocates of an activist government are often able to cite the protection of the common welfare as a primary need for government intervention. A third viewpoint is often take by policy analysts, who point out the realities of life, showing how government actions have in fact influenced and continue to influence the innovation process. This article takes the position of the policy analysts, who seek to enlarge and clarify the regulatory picture by studying both the positive and negative impacts that governments have had. The questions that stimulated and guided this study are the traditional ones that guide the policy analysts, that is: • Is government a barrier to innovation? • Can government influence be used as a stimulus for the innovation process? • Are there any differences between industries—and for that matter, between firms in the same industry—in terms of the differences in government influence on them? • What types of government actions are most likely to have positive impacts on the innovation process?

This article will focus mainly on utility electric plant maintenance with particular emphasis on steam (nonnuclear) turbine-generator maintenance. Our objective has been to identify and examine relationships between the target market and other recorded key operating parameters that would be useful for future forecasting of trends in the target market.

This paper explores the critical factors which affect the innovation proccess. Some ways in which some of these factors can be influenced by appropriate policy measures are discussed. In particular, the role of the federal government in promoting innovation is discussed. The role of the government in stimulating and nurturing the innovation process is a controversial one. Proponents of the free enterprise system, many of whom are spokespersons for various industries, have persistently pointed out the deleterious effects of regulation and control on the innovation process. By contrast, advocates of an activist government role are often able to cite the protection of the common welfare as a primary need for government intervention. In truth, the “government” is a patchwork of many governments, operating through many agencies and affecting firms and individuals at several levels and leverage points. The same regulation that has deleterious effects on Industry A may be a stimulus for innovation in Industry B. Even in Industry A, the regulation may act as a force in directing efforts toward certain types of R&D programs that would not otherwise be undertaken. In this paper we examine the specific instances where innovation projects, both product or process types, were affected by government regulation. We also briefly review the critical factors which affect the innovation process and how various governments in industrialized countries have taken actions to influence these factors. Finally, we examine some general guidelines for policymaking purposes.

This article describes the importance of scientific and technical information for the technical personnel at various organizational hierarchies and how these people satisfy their information needs. Inter- and intraorganizational channels used for information acquisition are discussed. Implications of these channels are discussed for industrial marketing.

This paper discusses some of the studies where attempts have been made to “measure” technological development for comparative purposes. Conceptual issues related to definition and measurement of “technology indicators” are presented here. The different indicators measure the different aspects of technology and consequently have different implication for policy issues at both macro and micro levels. Three approaches to research on technology indicators have been identified. The first approach initiated by the Gellman Research Associates in the United States uses literature as the primary source for defining the population of innovations. The second approach used by the researchers at the University of Sussex uses a large panel of experts to define population of innovations. The third approach used in many countries in Europe relies on surveys of firms. Problems associated with each approach are discussed to show how they can affect the validity of the findings. Some of the key findings from these studies in different countries are presented to indicate their policy implications.