IMPROVING THE RESEARCH-AND-DEVELOPMENT PRODUCTION INTERFACE IN INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES

Today, technological innovation is considered an essential component o f corporate success. However, investment in R&D will result in innovat ive products only if research findings are transferred to Production. This paper presents the results of a study on the barriers to and faci litators of this transfer process. Data were collected from 60 R&D div ision managers and 58 production managers from 61 companies in Brazil. Size of the R&D unit and the nature of the technology were considered in the analysis. Recommendations to improve the links between R&D and Production are presented.