Worker assistance systems: Understanding the human perspective

Worker assistance systems are becoming increasingly intelligent, interactive and supportive. But do they have a future on the shop floor? Mirco Möncks, Elisa Roth and Dr Thomas Bohné from the IfM's Cyber-Human Lab share insights from a recent study on stakeholders’ perspectives on assistive technology in manufacturing.

 

IT testing insight

IT insight testing description (short)

Strategic planning for digital transformation [WEBINAR]

In this webinar Dr Rob Phaal explores the practice of strategic roadmapping and how it could be applied to support digital transformation in an organisation.

IP strategy: from innovative ideas to viable businesses

Intellectual property (IP) is a major asset for most companies, from entrepreneurial ventures through to multinationals. Dr Frank Tietze unpicks IP strategy development for start-ups and growing companies.

Managing innovation in rail

Rob Munro, Industrial Associate for IfM Education and Consultancy Services, shares some insights into AIR4, a government-funded initiative to bring a more structured approach to making innovation happen in the rail sector.

Can cyber-human technology help us learn skills?

Dr Thomas Bohné shares insights from current research into the potential for using cyber-human technology for industrial skills training.

Student insights: Can haptic gloves make it easier to learn a skill?

Graduate student Ben Proyer has been part of an IfM research team testing the effectiveness of wearable technologies for industrial skills development. He shares his perspective on the project.

Technology roadmapping for leading liquid repellent supplier

We used our fast-start approach to roadmapping to help a leading liquid repellent technology supplier gain a clear direction for the future. The process highlighted the benefits of roadmapping and provided training for their internal team to allow them to use the technique for other products.

Improve the impact of your roadmap

Dr Rob Phaal gives seven ways organisations can improve their approach to roadmapping, providing an excellent foundation for planning strategic technology and innovation activities.

Technology intelligence services

With new technologies appearing more rapidly than ever before, Dr Letizia Mortara discusses how technology intelligence could help pick the ones that will deliver competitive advantage and spot the threats.

Additive Manufacturing Innovations by UK Organisations

This study examines the state of additive manufacturing (AM) innovation within UK-owned organisations.

 

T-CAT

 

Additive Manufacturing Strategy

Additive manufacturing: understanding the bigger picture

Governments around the world have high hopes for Additive Manufacturing (AM) also widely referred to as 3D printing. But if it is to have the economic impact they are looking for, there needs to be a better understanding of both the huge opportunities AM presents as well as the barriers that may prevent it realising its potential.

3D printing: The shape of things to come?

Dr Simon Ford, from IfM's Centre for Technology Management, explains why we need to take a clear-eyed view of this much hyped technology if it is to realise its potential.

Digital fabrication - getting behind the hype

The reality and the potential of digital fabrication for the UK economy will be examined in a new research project by the Centre for Technology Management's Technology Enterprise Group, funded by the ESRC and EPSRC.

Dr Tim Minshall's TEDx talk 'Building the Future'

Dr Tim Minshall, Senior Lecturer in Technology Management recently gave a TEDx talk based around the perception of what primary school children think engineers do.

Engineering in a connected world: Tim Minshall at TEDxCambridge

In this talk, Tim talks about how new technologies enable ordinary people to collaboratively design solutions to the problems they face in daily life.

Growth through effective innovation & technology

Innovation is key to growth but how do you manage it efficiently and how do you go about deciding what new product or process to invest in?

Lean and agile strategies key to outsmart the competition

Dr Rob Phaal from the Centre for Technology Management at the IfM in this short video makes the case for lean and agile strategy as a source of competitive advantage.

Management tools and toolkits: the good, the bad and the ugly

Dr Clive Kerr and Dr Rob Phaal from the IfM's Centre for Technology Management (CTM) are looking at better ways to design and use management tools and toolkits.

Opportunities and Challenges in Additive Manufacturing

Dr Tim Minshall who leads the EPSRC/ESRC-funded 'bit-by-bit' project at the IfM explains why Additive Manufacturing (or 3D Printing) could have huge application in sectors from cars to space stations.

Patently not obvious

Frank Tietze knows more than most about IP and hopes to help Cambridge and the UK do a lot better in the global IP charts.

Reducing the risk of failure in new product development

Project delays, cost overruns, misalignment with company strategy - these are just some of the things that can go wrong with new product development and they are often directly attributable to the very earliest stages of the innovation process.

Roadmapping at BASF

How BASF's experiences are shared by many of the companies taking part in a research project run by the IfM's Strategic Technology and Innovation Management (STIM) Consortium.

Technology Management Briefings - 2007-2009

IfM briefings and case studies provide a two-page summary of management, technology and policy issues.

UK Marine Industries - Technology Roadmap 2015

The 2015 Marine Industries Technology Roadmap examines those parts of the industry building vessels or supplying equipment and services for the commercial, leisure, naval?and marine science sectors.

Technology Roadmapping for Strategy and Innovation: Charting the Route to Success

This book is a key resource for technology roadmapping - it provides expert knowledge in four areas.

The 3D printing 'revolution': what's behind the hype?

Does the 3D printing revolution mean I will be able to print anything I want from the comfort of my own home?

Communicating technology intelligence

Communicating technology intelligence effectively to decision-makers can be challenging. This Practice Guide explores the reasons why and suggests some practical strategies for overcoming barriers.

What is 3D printing?

With news of 3D printed cars, houses and even food, is this the future of manufacturing? The Naked Scientists take a closer look at the workings of 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, and what this might mean for our collective futures. Dr Tim Minshall took Kat Arney through the basics.

Roadmapping health and wellbeing in the UK rail industry

There are approximately 120,000 people working for the UK rail industry. Recent figures have indicated that sickness costs the industry ?316 million a year. Addressing the health of its workforce is therefore a matter of some urgency and could result in an annual saving of ?32 million

Management Tools for Decision Support

Exploring the development and use of structured methods to gather, explore organise and communicate the information necessary for decision-making and management.

What does 'open innovation' mean for the Cambridge high tech cluster?

The IfM's Dr Tim Minshall talks about the realtionship between open innovation and Cambridge, the nature of partnerships. In this interview he examines the nature of OI, the role of serendipity and the role OI plays in getting ideas out of the door.

Implementing open innovation: lessons from multi-national companies

Dr Letizia Mortara looks at how multi-nationals have been approaching Open Innovation and the common themes that were observed by researchers across a range of industries following a two year IfM study of OI.

How to implement open innovation: lessons from studying large multinational companies

This report sets out to answer the question "I want to implement open innovation, where should I start and what should I do?" It provides an overview of existing approaches to OI and outlines how a company can start to implement a strategy to match the organisation's needs.

Getting help with open innovation

The report aims to help companies select the most effective source of help with open innovation. It describes the capabilities companies need in order to implement open innovation successfully and the range of assistance offered by different types of innovation intermediaries.

Organising for breakthrough innovation

This report provides companies with guidelines on how to improve their approach to the generation of radically different technologies. The authors describe the obstacles facing firms and their employees when attempting to make significant innovative breakthroughs.

Technology acquisitions

This research investigated the growing trend for companies to acquire technologies from external sources rather than using the firm's own internal research and development activities.

Developing a make or buy strategy for manufacturing business

A structured approach to making 'make-or-buy' decisions.

Make-or-Buy: A practical guide to industrial sourcing decisions

Offers a structured process, reviewing all relevant factors, to help the choice between producing 'in-house' and using an outside supplier. (2001, Spiralbound, 68 pages)

T-Plan: the fast start to Technology Roadmapping. Planning your route to success

A step-by-step guide to applying technology and product roadmapping techniques in your organisation using the minimum of resources. Volume discounts are available, please enquire for details. (2001, Spiralbound, 124 pages).

Making the Business Case for Technologies: A five step process guide

Convincing someone to invest in new technologies is one of the most important tasks of technology management. Yet the actual process of getting the buy-in decision is often inconclusive. (2009, Paperback, 26 pages)

Technology intelligence: Identifying threats and opportunities from new technologies

Helps companies evaluate their systems for keeping abreast of the latest technology developments and to identify areas for improvement.

Roadmapping for Strategy and Innovation

More than a decade of research at the IfM's Centre for Technology Management has gone into producing the first ever textbook on strategic roadmapping.