Abstract:Recently, innovative changes in information technology (IT) trends, such as cloud computing and deep learning, have led IT companies to focus on collaboration for sustainable growth. This paper investigates collaboration strategies and success factors for IT service companies via a survey-based empirical study of Korean leading IT firms. Four types of collaboration were identified by considering the types of customer relationship and the target market: offshore, joint venture, collaboration with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and partnership with major local firms. Then, based on a Plan-Do-See management activity process, this paper considers success factors in the planning process and collaboration process, and analyzes an impact of these factors on collaboration performance such as financial performance, process innovation, improving competitiveness, and technology acquisition. As a result, the success factors differ according to the types of performance measures as well as the collaboration types. In particular, the characteristics of partners positively influence competitiveness in captive and global markets, while they improve process innovation in open and domestic markets. This study attempts to provide insight for companies in the IT service industry about how collaboration activities could enhance performance, depending on the alliance types.

Mutual growth in the relation between large firms and small-medium enterprises (SMEs) has been an important issue that can be overcome with the concept of open innovation, which is the most continuous research topic in technology innovation. However, most previous studies on open innovation barely analyse both firm types, focusing only on one party. The aim of this study is to develop open innovation models for complementary cooperation between both types of firms in manufacturing industry. Based on a basic understanding of open innovation in each firm type, this study suggests open innovation typology with two main concepts of open innovation: knowledge interaction and technology innovation. Finally, open innovation models are developed, considering the cooperative participants, their relationships in open innovation processes, and open innovation activities illustrated through case studies. The results contribute to manage strategic open innovation between large firms and SMEs through various approaches of cooperation.

In this work an environmentally-friendly aqueous solution process was elaborated to produce hydroxyl-rich anatase nanocrystallites of very large surface area. The aqueous-synthesized nanocrystalline anatase material was shown to have favorable physical properties (e.g. 160-280 m2/g specific surface area, 5~8 nm crystallite size, high concentration of OH surface groups) for fabricating photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The fabrication process involved paste preparation, "double-layer" screen printing, annealing and sensitization with the N719 dye [cis - (2,2'- bipyridyl - 4,4'- dicarboxylate)2 (NCS)2 ruthenium(II)]. Photocurrent -voltage measurements of DSSCs based on the aqueous-synthesized titania showed higher photocurrent and conversion efficiency when compared to cells built from commercial benchmark nanotitania materials. The enhanced performance of the aqueous titania-based DSSC is discussed on the basis of extensive characterization work that included XRD, TEM, UV-Vis and Raman/ATR-FTIR spectroscopy.

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Innovative technology has made it possible to dramatically change the social and economic environment. In particular, 5G mobile communication technology that radically improves the performance of current technology can renew urban infrastructure, public services, and citizens' lives for the implementation of smart spaces. Although new services need to be generated by such innovative technology, existing technology-based approaches have mostly relied on the intuition of experts rather than a systematic approach. Thus, this paper aims to present a method and process by which technology-based new ideas using 5G mobile communication technology are generated to realize a connected environment by focusing on technological functions as well as customer value. First, the relationships among technology, value, and service are defined through morphology analysis. Second, service opportunities are identified by developing a transformed buyer-utility map in the smart space environment. After mapping the established services, candidate cells for a new service were identified as vacant cells in the map with the removal of technically unnecessary candidates based upon the pre-defined relationship. Third, a new service idea is generated by modifying/extending candidates concretely through an ERRC (Eliminate, Reduce, Raise, Create) framework. Value factors are determined in advance and shown in the As-Is value curve representing the current status. The current level in the curve is then compared at an industrial level and value factors are chosen to newly modify or create. As a result, the To-Be curve is established and leads to a new service idea. It can be regarded as a useful tool for mobile carriers to plan new business models for smart spaces with adequate technology and market feasibility.

Small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are considered to be the main driving force behind economic and employment growth. However, the low productivity levels of SMEs cannot be explained by lower levels of R&D investment, but are instead a consequence of a lack of research and development (R&D) efficiency that would have been adequate for making firms more competitive. To investigate any differences in R&D efficiency that impact the company overall performance in economic and employment performance, we analyze various types of SMEs in Korea. This paper applies two estimation methods: data envelopment analysis and regression analysis. This study takes three relevant factors of output: (1) the number of patents, (2) the number of success in terms of technology development, and (3) the level of profit attained through new products. Additionally, the study's model incorporates three parts of input: (1) human resources, (2) development periods, and (3) R&D budget. In the context of this paper, a comparison of the factors regarding efficiency is performed based upon the following criteria: the level of novelty, the length of a product's life cycle, and the time period of a competitor emulation of the product created by original enterprise. Comparing the factors that influence the efficiency of types within each criterion is meaningful in analyzing the differences in efficiency outcome on the various types among SMEs. Our findings indicate that SMEs vary among types in terms of efficiency and that there are also differences causing factors according to types.

Although various methods of total quality management concentrate on a process approach to management, product and/or service realisation and support, little attention has been paid to both R&D quality and R&D processes. Since companies have increased investment in R&D projects for many years to eliminate the risk of an ineffective R&D process and enhance the quality of R&D, it is indispensable to create a well-structured R&D process. Thus, this paper proposes a standard R&D process model that can be applied to various R&D projects. In addition to evaluating this model, the standard R&D process model is compared with traditional process models, namely Capability Maturity Model Integration, European Industrial Research Management Association, and ISO15288. Finally, an assessment method is suggested to evaluate an R&D process in a real situation. The results of this paper present 21 R&D processes and the best practices in each process, enabling a company to find and improve weak R&D processes.