Resumo

Technology Intelligence is one of the many ways of applying Competitive Intelligence (NIKOLAOS; EVANGELIA, 2012). Since Ansoff (1975), authors have discussed the need to monitor new technology development to avoid surprises and to take actions to reduce risks. Most recently, authors are looking at TI as an important activity for companies face growing rivalry (KIM et al., 2012; LICHTENTHALER, 2003, 2004, 2007). As CI, TI intends to detect and process weak signals in order to identify opportunities and threats and provide actionable information (NOSELLA; PETRONI; SALANDRA, 2008; ROSSEL, 2012)

After going through the literature review, we could see that, as Miller (2002)⁠ pointed out earlier, there is still a gap in reported cases of companies actually applying Technology Intelligence. This article intends to help covering this gap by answering the research question: How companies build an actionable technology intelligence project? We have, as general objective, to describe application cases of technology intelligence focusing on tools and process.

Authors have cited Technology Intelligence (TI) concepts since the first appearance of CI in the literature with Ansoff (1975)⁠. Prescott and Miller (2002)⁠ named “Technical Competitive Intelligence” the exercise of avoiding surprise by the technical advances of competitors through technology monitoring in its many forms. In their book, they present a series of case studies in order to fulfill a gap that exists in literature regarding this subject. ⁠Lichtenthaler (2004)⁠ developed a framework to study Technology Intelligence process.

We used Case Study and Action-research approaches for this research. Case study is a method used when the research question requires a deep diving into the subject (EISENHARDT, 1989; YIN, 2015)⁠ While quantitative methods focus on literal replications to enhance the conclusions, qualitative methods rely on theoretical replication (EISENHARDT, 1989; THEÓPHILO; MARTINS, 2009; YIN, 2015). For data collection, as one of the authors participated in the projects described here, we used Participant observation, as part of an Action-research method (COUGHLAN; COGHLAN, 2002).

We describe two application cases: we will firstly look at a public research institute that was using its competencies and structure to support a client from the petrochemical industry that was deciding whether or not to invest in a new technology; then, we review the work of a private chemical company that was interested in getting a first snapshot of a certain technology’s landscape.

Companies seem to now know how to deal with Technology Intelligence. When outsourcing, they are more willing to pay for an extremely comprehensive project that not necessarily needs to be so deep and complex. When doing it internally, decision makers are not willing to wait and give the TI analysts resources to conduct a project in the right deepness and complexity. It seems like a “goldilocks problem” applied to Technology Intelligence.

LICHTENTHALER, E. Managing technology intelligence processes in situations of radical technological change. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, v. 74, n. 8, p. 1109–1136, 2007. NIKOLAOS, T.; EVANGELIA, F. Competitive intelligence: concept , context and a case of its application. Science Journal of Business Management, n. 2, p. 1–15, 2012. MORTARA, L. et al. Technology Intelligence practice in UK technology-based companies. International Journal of Technology Management, v. 48, n. 1, p. 115–135, 2009.