Purdue's Center for Technology Roadmapping: a resource for research and education in technology roadmapping

Abstract

Strategic thinking has moved from developing strategies for fixed environments to creating strategies that enable organizations to adapt to and benefit from change. This trend is a reaction to the increasingly dynamic nature of a global economy driven by rapid advances in technology. In response to this trend, Purdue University has created the Center for Technology Roadmapping (CTR). The Center's goal is to enhance strategic planning by advancing the art and science of technology planning. A key feature of the center is a website at which industry associations, research organizations, and individuals can develop roadmaps that are stored in a common data format and posted for public access. As this archive of roadmaps grows, many unique opportunities will arise. In the area of roadmapping research, these include: data-mining across roadmaps from different industries; development of an ontology for technology roadmapping; and analyzing the dynamics of roadmaps over time. In the area of education, these opportunities include: new tools and topics for courses in technology planning and management; the use of roadmapping tools and techniques in undergraduate design courses; an Executive Masters program in technology roadmapping; and broader dissemination of technology information throughout society.