There is perhaps no area of human activity that is so uncertain as research and development (R & D). This is the business of discovery. The idea that it can be planned or shaped may seem ridiculous. But most R & D is carried out in highly organised institutions which are susceptible to different methods of management. Some organisations are better at managing R & D than others and some are more able to create the future through technological innovations. Today, this is crucial, because the future of many companies and the nations in which they operate depend on producing goods and services which have a high "knowledge content". Internationally, there is intense pressure to manage science and technology more effectively because of increasingly turbulent markets, heavy competition and government universities and research institutes have responded in ways explored in "Managing technology for competitive advantage". This new book is a comprehensive and authoritative guide to global practice in the management of technology with 24 chapters by leading practitioners and analysts in the field. Using real cases, global initiatives in "technology foresight" are explored, along with an exhaustive range of indispensable practical management tools.