Choose an emerging technology with which you are familiar. The technology may be at a very early stage, such as a new scientific discovery that has potential for a new innovative technology. Alternatively, the technology might have already undergone some development but requires further work before it can become viable as a commercial product or a fully implemented technology. The important point, however, is that the technology is undergoing an episode of innovation. The following sectors may be likely to present useful projects: IT; construction; aerospace; biotechnology; telecommunications; defence; health care; pharmaceuticals; public or government services; logistics and retail. You should be careful to ensure that you are presenting an example of a technology, rather than simply an incremental improvement to a technology. Furthermore, the focus of the roadmap should be a technology and not just a technology project. For example, it is unlikely that implementation of a revised operating system, such as Windows 7 to Windows 8, would be suitable for this TMA
Question 1
Give a brief introduction and explanation (approximately 500 words) of the technology that you have chosen and then produce a technology road map that sets out the following:· Key milestones and activities that have already occurred during the development of the technology.
· Milestones in technical development required in the future.
· Milestones in the technology's market required in the future.
· Key activities that will support the future technical and commercial development of the project.
· Other factors, in the past or future, that you see are relevant, e.g. capability development.
The road map should clearly show the development up to the present time. It should also show the anticipated future development of the innovation. You should choose a format for your road map that matches the needs of the technology. The paper by Phaal et al. (2004) provides a detailed discussion of various formats. You need to develop a format that will be helpful when making decisions about the innovation's pathway.
Question 2
Based on your road map, write a report of approximately 1500 words that sets out the following:
· The rationale for the format (of the road map) you have chosen to use. This should include not just the structure of your map but also the level of detail that you have decided to show. (20 marks)
· With reference to your road map, explain what you think the key issues are that will need to be addressed in the future development of the technology. (40 marks)