technology management

While generative artificial intelligence has gained more visibility and achieved initial successes, it is largely unused in the industry context. In contrast, its development and versatility point to a promising application for industrial manufacturing – especially in cases where complex challenges such as decisionmaking or process optimization are present. Showcasing the various development horizons and several example case studies provides a particularly illuminating illustration of its potential for the field of technology management.

An effective technology control system is helpful for preserving potentials of flexibility. The product technology portfolio is a suitable technique for reviewing effective and efficient applications of technologies. The results are basis for decisions in technology management of firms.

New technologies are often drivers of structural change, which in many cases leads to profound organizational and infrastructural changes in industry and within the enterprises. The aim of business action is to be versatile. That means that enterprises should play the role of the main actor of change instead of reacting only. The technology calendar described in this article is a strategic planning instrument. With this instrument it is possible to gain an overview about technologies available now and in future. From the confrontation of the product spectrum that can be manufactured in future and the technologies available in future, the necessary organizational and infrastructural measures, which result as consequence from the technological change, can be initiated. This way the planning of business change becomes possible.

Technologies have influence upon competitive ability of enterprises in global and increasing competition. Espe-cially enterprises of so called high tech branches suffer from shorter product life cycles but longer periods of development. Enterprises in developed branches are threatened by technologies that may substitute the existing ones. In these circumstances an effective knowledge management and systematic technological forecasting with methodic support strengthen the competitive ability of the enterprise. Scenario technique and roadmapping are methods that register technological trends and reproduce the knowledge about technological development. In this article the suitability of the methods is assessed and both are integrated. The combination of scenario technique and roadmapping can use the advantages of both methods.