Practical matters for defense contractors converting DoD technology to commercial markets
Name
823641346-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
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635.49 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
d5e5fb85918475ce10efa127bdccbef5
Author(s)
Ting, Carina Maria
Advisor(s)
Donna H. Rhodes.
Date Issued
2012
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
This thesis asks if and how the defense contractor can profitably transfer the technology and institutional learning obtained from DoD funded R&D to commercial markets. There are numerous examples of very successful defense conversion in U.S. history, such as the computer and internet. This phenomenon however, is not commonplace and the original developer of the military applied technology did not often profit from its commercialization. Faced with multiple disadvantages associated with having adapted to doing business with the DoD, this thesis hypothesizes that the one possible advantage that the DoD contractor has in competing in the commercial markets is access to advanced technological knowledge and personnel that have benefited from the learning associated from performing state of the art R&D for the DoD. This degree of advanced technology learning is not as accessible to the commercial firm because business pressures do not allow the degree of funding for cutting edge technology and less directly applicable research. This thesis examines the barriers for the DoD contractor attempting to move into the commercial market and examines cases studies of successful conversions and the recommendations from applicable prescriptive literature.
Description
Thesis (S.M. in Engineering and Management)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, System Design and Management Program, 2012.
This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 67-73).
Subjects
Engineering Systems Division.
System Design and Management Program.
MIT Department
System Design and Management Program.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division
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