R&D management through network mapping: using the Internet to identify strategic network actors in cooperative research networks

Most R&D management techniques to date have emphasized the immediate organi zational context or the internal structure and process of the R&D project. Recently however attempts have been made at situating R&D management in a w ider context of inter-organizational R&D activities. This paper presents th e technique of R&D network mapping as a means of providing strategic intell igence to the R&D manager. The paper backgrounds this technique with a disc ussion of the general issue and significance of R&D networks. A methodology for R&D network mapping is then exemplified by outlining how a network dat abase of cooperating projects and institutes in the telecom research sector was built by utilizing the World Wide Web. Finally a number of suggestions are made as to how and when network mapping should be applied in strategic R&D management.