“Collaborating for Success: Integrating the Customer in the R&D Process”
Summary of Key Talks
The center was opened in Europe in 1993 with the goal to collaborate. Specifically, but not exclusively they look at project with the EU. There are 100 researchers in the lab in Europe, about 60 have PhDs. Working with academics proved to be difficult since their strategic intent is rather different.
When working with partners, they define very carefully and clearly the piece of work expected by the partner and each partner can develop his own IP on the part that he is developing.
They use networks like “nine sigma” to identify partners. These types of networks work well for technology based projects, less for project with a strong business orientation.
They collaborate with students in universities by giving the student the IT tools for free, they also direct the work of the students towards areas that are more practical and engineering orientated – areas that the researchers don’t have an interest in. The quality of work that they manage to get from the students is very good, the faculty are also involved.
They can also have collaborations with industry, for example Dow Chemicals or Motorola.
Sometimes the quality assurance people can identify issues in projects and alert the management, before these areas explode.
They have a check list that they review with potential partners, before taking the decision to collaborate:
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Strategic intent
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Human factors – culture and motivation
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Project management skills (academics are not great in this)
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Labor laws (for example - in some paces they cannot hire people for a 3 year project…)
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IP
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Go to market strategy
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The ability to discuss risks upfront
When it comes to the Development activities of Xerox – the nature of collaborations with be different. It will be based more on licensing of services and the projects will be much more precise managed according to ‘thick books’ of processes and internal regulations.
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