Capabilities for Strategic Advantages : Leading Through Technological Innovation

In a competitive environment rivals will quickly respond to changes and improvements. This new contribution demonstrates that companies need to have a methodology for developing strategy with regard to future technology. New technology needs to be integrated into a strategic process and companies who are able to establish the capabilities to achieve this will secure robust competitive advantage. This powerful new approach will be demonstrated with examples and cases.

DAVID BIRCHALL is Director both of Research and of Learning and Teaching Services at Henley Management College, UK. He has been researching and teaching for over 25 years and has a background in engineering project management. His interests include management of technology including innovation management. He is involved in EU and UK government projects including technology transfer, technology partnering, and virtual learning in a virtual environment, in partnership with organizations in a number of countries.

GEORGE TOVSTIGA is a Visiting Professor at Henley Management College, UK and Senior Advisor to Arthur D. Little (Switzerland) Ltd. He has been involved in research and technology development and transfer in multinationals including Xerox research in Canada, Bayer AG in Germany, and ABB Ltd in Switzerland. Formerly an Associate Professor of Technology and Innovation Management at the University of Twente (Netherlands), he has most recently directed NATO Science and Technology Policy Programme projects in St. Petersburg, Russia, focussed on developing management capabilities in technology-intensive SMEs. He obtained a doctorate in engineering sciences from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich) and an MBA from the University of Twente (Netherlands).