Alcoa's evolving business strategy has transformed its technology organizat
ion to better meet the needs of the company's growing global reach. Technol
ogy strategies and program sponsorship are now led by Technology Management
Review Boards (TMRBs), composed of business and technology leaders from bu
siness units with "like-kind" technologies. Technology strategies for these
TMRBs, aligned with business units' needs, have been developed and reviewe
d with the Alcoa Technology Board. A new operational mode is now underway i
n which technology is managed globally as a "virtual," enterprise-wide, org
anization. Engineering-oriented activities have been moved into business un
its and/or to "development factories," closer to operations. The former cen
tral laboratory role of the Alcoa Technical Center has been changed. Techno
logy teams, housed at ATC and led by TMRBs, are driving technology transfer
globally, as well as pushing the envelope with breakthrough technologies t
o close those critical gaps identified during strategic technology planning
. Other capabilities have been reorganized to better provide enterprise-wid
e shared services. Alignment of technology objectives with the Alcoa Produc
tion System and with increased customer and market focus is continuing. The
change process has also brought new, extended responsibilities to the role
of Alcoa's chief technology review.