Technological surveillance is an essential practice for any company that wants to stay competitive and at the forefront of its sector. It involves continuously observing and learning from the technological environment to identify new trends, emerging technologies, and competitor movements that can impact my company in the short and medium term.
The objectives of technological surveillance are diverse and range from identifying emerging technologies to strategic planning. Below is a starting model for organizing a company’s technological surveillance, including objectives, data sources, and tools used, as well as its integration into the company’s innovation strategy. Not all the resources listed here make sense for all companies; each will have to choose and implement what is most convenient according to their case.
Objectives of Technological Surveillance
Identification of Emerging Technologies: Detect new technologies that can revolutionize the market and offer competitive advantages.
Competitive Intelligence: Monitor competitors’ activities to anticipate strategic moves and adapt one’s own strategies.
Risk Mitigation: Identify potential technological threats and prepare to mitigate associated risks.
Innovation and R&D: Support research and development activities with up-to-date information on technological advances.
Strategic Planning: Promote informed strategic decision-making with relevant and updated data on technological trends.
Data Sources for Technological Surveillance
To carry out effective technological surveillance, it is important to use various data sources that provide reliable and relevant information. The main data sources include:
- Patent Databases: Offer information on new inventions and trends in intellectual property. The most interesting part is not so much identifying the “how” of the patent (how the innovation is made) but the “what” (what innovation is being introduced to the market, and what change it implies for my business).
- Academic Research: Articles and academic studies that present the latest scientific and technological advances.
- Industry or Sector News and Reports: Reports and analysis of the sector that provide an updated view of the market.
- Competitor Activity: Observation and analysis of competitors’ strategies and movements.
- Attendance at Sector Conferences and Trade Shows: Events where the latest innovations are presented and sector trends are discussed.
- Open Innovation Platforms: Spaces where ideas and collaborative projects are shared among different market actors.
Practically, learning about technological changes with potential impact involves subscribing to newsletters from suppliers, competitors, and collaborators, attending trade shows, networking and sharing information, vision, and knowledge with peers, and setting up alerts for keywords or concepts in patent databases, academic articles, and Google.
Tools for Technological Surveillance
Using appropriate tools is essential for managing and analyzing the large amount of data collected during the technological surveillance process. Some of the most commonly used tools are:
- Data Analytics: Techniques and software that allow analyzing large volumes of data to identify patterns and trends. The exponential technologies currently emerging in the market will be very significant for the evolution of these tools.
- Innovation Management Software: Platforms that facilitate the management of innovation projects, management of programs or research lines, and the integration of technological surveillance data.
- Customized Alerts: Systems that send notifications about new developments and relevant changes in the technological environment.
Integration into the Innovation Strategy
All the information collected and analyzed through technological surveillance is used to carry out a technology assessment. This process of technological evaluation allows the company to better understand the technological landscape and how it can impact its innovation strategy. Integrating this assessment into the innovation strategy ensures that innovation decisions are based on concrete and updated data, which increases the company’s ability to adapt to changes and seize new opportunities.
In conclusion, technological surveillance is an indispensable tool for any company that aspires to integrate innovation. Through the identification of emerging technologies, competitive intelligence, risk mitigation, support for R&D, and strategic planning, companies can stay at the forefront and ensure their competitiveness in an ever-evolving environment.