Technology Watch is where we scan the horizon of the integrated products domain for technologies, business processes and other developments showing signs today that they are likely to upset the status quo in integrated products tomorrow.
The Integrated Products Manufacturing KTN Technology Watch process
Our Technology Watch process is a cyclic one. Together with domain experts from Integrated Products Manufacturing KTN partners and members, we hold periodic technology-roadmapping exercises to bring our own technology roadmap of integrated products up to date. This roadmap enables us to re-enumerate and prioritise developments those experts judge likely to wield the greatest future influence in the domain.
The highest-priority developments then become the subject of the reviews you will find in this section of the website commissioned from technical writers from within and without the KTN's core partners. Central to the audience we ask them to address are managers of small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK. Through an Integrated Products Manufacturing KTN Technology Watch review, we want to help them and other readers with similar concerns - who may not have a deep technical understanding of the developments addressed by that review - to discover the opportunities for innovation as well as the threats to their survival that they bring on their coat tails.
The Integrated Products Manufacturing KTN Technology Watch library
The result is Technology Watch, an ever-growing library of technical reviews to which you can get direct access here. We loosely divide them into three broad and sometimes overlapping streams - technology reviews for primarily technological developments ; business reviews for business developments of special importance in the manufacture of, or R&D on, integrated products; and sector profiles for profiles of industry sectors in the thick of researching, developing and manufacturing integrated products.
Technology roadmapping serves another of our aims too. By participating in our technology-roadmapping workshops, our members have the opportunity to voice their priorities for innovation. We, as a Knowledge Transfer Network, are in a position to convey these to the Technology Strategy Board - the agency responsible for putting the government's Technology Programme into effect.
Suggest a subject for Technology Watch
If you would like to suggest a subject for a future Technology Watch review - one that is squarely within the broad domain of integrated products but not yet adequately covered by existing reviews on our site - please send us a query using the online feedback form or contact Chris Stokes.
Sign up for announcements
If you would like to be informed by email when new Technology Watch reviews are published, you can sign up for e-alerts by logging in (if you are not already logged in) and editing your registration details. Simply tick the 'Technology Watch' tick box in the interests section of the registration form and finish by clicking the 'submit' button.
If you haven't already registered, you will need to do so before you can sign up for e-alerts. Use the online registration form.
All announcements from the Integrated Products Manufacturing KTN relating to Technology Watch are also posted on our news RSS feed.
For more information about feasibility studies, please send us a query using the online feedback form or contact Rachel Spencer.