15.912 Technology Strategy, Spring 2005

Abstract

Outlines tools for formulating and evaluating technology strategy, including an introduction to the economics of technical change, models of technological evolution, and models of organizational dynamics and innovation. Topics covered include: making money from innovation; competition between technologies and the selection of standards; optimal licensing policies; joint ventures; organization of R&D; and theories of diffusion and adoption. Taught using a combination of readings and case studies. From the course home page: Course Description This course provides a series of strategic frameworks for managing high-technology businesses. The emphasis throughout is on the development and application of conceptual models which clarify the interactions between competition, patterns of technological and market change, and the structure and development of internal firm capabilities. The course covers much of the same conceptual material as 15.351 and 15.393, and students should not take 15.912 if they have taken (or intend to take) either alternative. This is not a course in how to manage product or process development. The main focus is on the acquisition of a set of powerful analytical tools which are critical for the development of a technology strategy as an integral part of business strategy. These tools can provide the framework for insightful planning when deciding which technologies to invest in, how to structure those investments and how to anticipate and respond to the behavior of competitors, suppliers, and customers. The course should be of particular interest to those interested in managing a business for which technology is likely to play a major role, and to those interested in consulting or venture capital.