Collaborative Research - MOD: The R&D 'Lab' of the Future: Foundations for Modeling the R&D/Innovation Planning Process

This project examines the information seeking and using behaviors of decision makers who face decisions about their future R&D investments. A number of trends have made these decisions more uncertain, notably 'Open Innovation,' the globalization of science and technology, increasingly diverse sources of technical and scientific information, as well as the global outsourcing of research to developing economies. There is substantial evidence that industrial decision makers lack needed information; are unaware of available information; or need a more inclusive model of appropriate decision processes.

The study sheds light on whether and why industry decision makers choose global R&D over U.S. R&D. It does this by examining how firms that are global innovators use information about scientific and technical resources, together with other innovation-related data, to shape their investment decisions and competitive strategies. The project is based on collaboration with the Center for Innovation Management Studies and the Industrial Research Institute (IRI), whose 250 members collectively fund and conduct about 75% of U.S. industrial research. These firms' day-to-day R&D investment decisions are transforming traditional company-owned R&D laboratories into the 'Laboratory of the Future' (LOF). Each firm's own 'LOF' may consist of a traditional laboratory, a collaborative laboratory, a virtual laboratory or a network of external resources, including university researchers in the U.S. or abroad, as well as government or private labs, collaborative strategic partners, or simulation tools thus augmenting or even replacing company owned physical labs. LOFs are highly likely to vary by industry and by the competitive environment of the firm. The study examines participants' discussions of these decisions and the information resources they use to decide how to build their future innovation capabilities.

The project analyzes the LOF discussion to reveal how R&D managers think long-term and strategically about what they do. The project documents information seeking and information using behavior as exhibited in an on-line discussion by the decision makers about the R&D 'LOF'. In addition the research opens a window into decision makers' rationales for their investment commitments.

Broader Impacts: Corporate R&D executives are making decisions now that will, in the aggregate, shape the LOF and affect U.S. national innovation system. This project documents how they are making those decisions, what information they are presently using, and what kinds of data might be desirable for robust decisions. The project results inform both decision makers in industry and policy makers about data and information sources presently used, not used, and data not presently available but desirable for the future.