Abstract of Dr. Harryson's Presentation:

With a strong focus on internal R&D and development of internal know-how companies risk to get 'stuck' and to respond too slow to time-paced market shifts, the reason is that their technology specialization leaves many people in marketing, R&D and production short of the cross-functional skills they need to effectively perform innovation. This seminar takes a standpoint that the right combination of company internal and company external technologies often yields a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. It is essential to know where these technologies are and, more essential still, to know-who that best can contribute to their transfer and integration.

Companies that move from know-how to know-who make effective use of external networking to acquire both tacit and explicit knowledge from the outside. As an important consequence, the company co-workers will be able to participate more effectively in internal networking with three critical objectives:

1. To make corporate synergies in R&D possible through more effective transfer, transformation and application of knowledge across divisions and business units.
2. To increase R&D efficiency by ensuring that all R&D activities are clearly attuned to market needs.
3. To enhance R&D effectiveness by securing an earlier and more intensive knowledge transfer between R&D and downstream implementation.

This session grounds our understanding of know-who based companies: the basic management concept, the network mechanisms used to accelerate innovation, and the management principles deployed to mobilize all required brain and leg-power to build new business. Particular attention will be given to the management of tacit knowledge. The session will include a case example on how Canon developed and commercialized the FLC Display, which is the starting-point of the new book that will be published in Chinese by Peking University Press.

Brief Biography of Dr. Harryson:

Dr. Sigvald Harryson is an Assistant Professor and Program Director of Growth Strategy Implementation at the Baltic Business School in Sweden. He has spent ten years in general management consulting with Arthur D. Little (Partner), Booz Allen Hamilton (Principal), and The Boston Consulting Group (Project Manager). His work focuses on growth through innovation (GTI), typically based on innovation and accelerated commercialization through new types of networking.

Dr. Harryson has a doctoral degree in Japanese R&D Management from the St. Gallen University and a Ph.D. in Knowledge & Innovation Management at the Goteborg School of Economics in 2002. He is the author of several scientific articles and has published three books in the knowledge and innovation management field. His first book on R&D Management is now being published in Chinese by Peking University Press.

We are pleased to invite you and your colleagues to attend the talk. As there are limited number of seats available, please click here to register for the talk by 24 February 2004. Please forward this invitation to your friends and colleagues who may be interested.  Thank You!

Admission is FREE & we look forward to seeing you at the seminar.