Managing Inter-Firm Process Technology Transfer: Success Factors and Organisational Perspectives

Abstract

Introducing existing, improved or radically new process technology in the process industries is not finished until it is operating well at the firm’s premises; a fact of growing importance in the perspective of digital transformation. However, since it is uncommon for firms in the process industries to develop own process technology, they are dependent on suppliers for the acquisition of new equipment. Relying on the development of an organisational framework, the authors’ industrial experiences, and a literature review, success factors for inter-firm process technology transfer were initially developed. To facilitate the company use, and as an illustrative case, the success factors were afterwards included in a survey to informants in the petrochemical industries. The findings indicate that companies would benefit from the development of an internal guide for inter-firm process technology transfer. The success factors could not only be used as components in such a manual, but also serve as a “check-list” for internal improvement programs for process technology transfer.

Unlocking the relationships between strategic planning, leadership and technology transfer competence: the mediating role of strategic quality management

“…These findings support prior studies, highlighting the importance of SP and leadership for firms and their influences on SQM (Alidrisi and Mohamed, 2012;Clay-Williams et al, 2020;Kalyandurg and Akhilesh, 2012; Laureani and Antony, 2019). The findings further show that TTC in Turkish firms is influenced positively by SQM, thereby supporting the findings of prior studies in this context (Efstathiades et al, 2002;Hannigan et al, 2015;Lager and Hassan-Beck, 2021;da Silva et al, 2019da Silva et al, , 2021. Our research also shows that while leadership positively influences TTC, SP does not.…”

“…Technological advancement necessitates a forward-looking management approach that promotes innovative attributes and activities (Gupta, 2020; Hsu et al , 2019; Parmentier and Mangematin, 2014). Given the convoluted processes and behavioral hurdles involved in technology transfer (Proskuryakova et al , 2017), a firm needs leadership to allocate sufficient resources to cross-functional R&D, to support technology transfer and to leverage appropriate technologies for the firm’s advancement (Lager and Hassan-Beck, 2021; Laureani and Antony, 2019). Firms with effective leadership practices can boost a better diffusion of different technologies across functions and organizational boundaries and pave the way for the proper utilization of technology toward strategic ends.…”

“…The behavioral elements of technology transfer are essentially leveraged through the strategic approach (Lager and Hassan-Beck, 2021). SP comes into the picture at this point and highlights the role of a holistic, long-term view of technology transfer within and across organizational boundaries and the expected outcomes of this view (da Silva et al , 2019).…”

The transfer of technology from the organizational viewpoint

“…Since then, no consensus definition has been presented due to the complexity of the topic that requires time to evolve. (Bengoa et al, 2021).Considering the excellence in business management the process of technology transfer is certainly composed by advantages and disadvantages regardless its great importance on innovation management (Lager & Hassan-Beck, 2021).…”

“…Considering the excellence in business management the process of technology transfer is certainly composed by advantages and disadvantages regardless its great importance on innovation management (Lager & Hassan-Beck, 2021).…”