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Technology roadmapping is a planning process that gives decision-makers a means to identify, evaluate and select among strategic alternatives for achieving technological objectives.
Technology roadmapping differs significantly from other planning and analysis tools. First, it is driven by "market pull," that is, the technological innovations needed if companies are to serve anticipated future markets. Roadmapping is NOT driven by "technology push," what can be done with the existing stock of technologies. Second, it builds on a vision of where a company or industry wishes to go and what technologies are needed to get there. Third, it provides a route for achieving the vision, going from today to tomorrow, by helping companies or organizations identify, select and develop the right technology alternatives needed to create the right products for future markets.
The roadmap document resulting from the technology roadmapping process is the first step toward technological innovation. After that, the plan has to be implemented.
A technology roadmap document presents the industry's consensus on a number of topics: a vision of the industry at a set time in the future; what new types of products (or services) markets will require; the enabling technologies to create those products; the feasibility of creating the needed technologies; the technological alternatives for achieving the needed technologies; and how to address these technology needs through R&D. The roadmap document addresses the role of an industry's suppliers in creating the desired future, human resources needs, governmental and non-governmental barriers, and other topics.
Companies face many challenges in today's global markets. Products are becoming more complex and, at the same time, more customized. Time-to-market for products is shrinking and product life is shortening. R&D is expensive, and reduced budgets are making it impossible for individual companies to independently develop all the technologies they might need to meet future market imperatives. Competition is global and fierce, especially from countries that are both technologically advanced and have lower labour costs than Canada.
In this context, companies must use effective tools to plan their future. Technology roadmapping is a way to identify product or service needs, map them onto technology alternatives, and develop plans to ensure the required technologies will be available when needed.
Here are some of the indications that an industry needs to produce a roadmap:
As a government employee who knows the challenges the industry is facing, you are well positioned to determine whether industry players should consider producing a roadmap.
Technology roadmapping helps companies, industries and R&D organizations plan what they must do to succeed in future markets. Technology roadmaps:
Technology roadmapping is a first step toward ensuring an industry's future competitiveness.
There are several types of technology roadmaps. They share certain elements but differ in significant ways. Following general guidelines, a company, industry, organization, or government department will create its own roadmap by adapting one of the models to meet particular needs or challenges. The types of roadmaps in use today are:
Industry Canada and our federal partners focus on roadmaps identifying critical or emerging technologies with the potential to give an industry a competitive edge over competitors worldwide. The government tends to assist industry in technology roadmapping when the resulting roadmap will address issues in which government has a role, for example, employment and skills development, R&D funding programs, and policy and regulations influencing technology development. Government is most interested in helping an industry sector, rather than an individual company, prepare a technology roadmap.
If an industry demonstrates a strong desire and the capacity to produce a technology roadmap, the federal government can provide:
Industry representatives cover the costs associated with their participation in the roadmapping process, such as time, travel, accommodation, and meals.