Fraunhofer-Institut für Produktionsanlagen und Konstruktionstechnik IPK

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  • Publication
    Review of methodologies for the assessment of the technological capability of RTOS
    ( 2019)
    Hecklau, F.
    ;
    Kidschun, F.
    ;
    Tominaj, S.
    ;
    Kohl, H.
  • Publication
    Requirements for a methodology for the analysis and assessment of technological capability in research and technology organizations
    ( 2019)
    Hecklau, F.
    ;
    Kidschun, F.
    ;
    Kohl, H.
    ;
    Tominaj, S.
    The advancing globalization and simultaneous liberalization of the markets not only have a tremendous influence on companies in the manufacturing industry but also lead to new challenges for the research sector. Especially Research and Technology Organizations (RTOs) as bridges of basic research and the industry favor technological change on the one hand and increase the competitiveness of the industry through innovative solutions on the other. (Arnold, Clark, Jávorka 2010, pp. 9-10; Breznik 2015, pp. 24-25). The resulting high need for technological innovation pushes RTOs to intensify competition for technology leadership to sustain market competitiveness. In this regard, RTOs must be able to develop technological solutions that translate results from research and development activities into state-of-the-art products and services. This can only be achieved when technological resources and competences are efficiently and effectively used to build up competitive advantages. (Kröll 2007, p. 11; Figueiredo 2014, p. 83; Zehnder 1997, p. 20) Therefore, the technological capability of RTOs needs to be defined and analyzed. In this context, the paper aims to contribute to the development of a suitable methodology for systematically analyzing and evaluating the technological capability of RTOs using a standardized approach. Hence, a profound understanding of technological capability of RTOs is to be developed, which will enable the derivation of requirements to be met by an analysis and evaluation methodology which needs to be developed based on the identified requirements of this paper in the future. Subsequently, various methods and approaches for assessing the technological capability will be discussed and evaluated with respect to the specific requirements of RTOs. The outlook is to outline the further procedure for the development of a suitable methodology for the analysis and evaluation of technological performance.
  • Publication
    Application example: Assessment of the technological maturity of Brazilian innovation institutes
    ( 2019)
    Hecklau, F.
    ;
    Kidschun, F.
    ;
    Will, M.
    ;
    Kohl, H.
    ;
    Prim, M.F.
    ;
    Pavim, A.X.
    ;
    Oliveira, J.E.
    The advancing globalisation and simultaneous liberalisation of the markets not only have a tremendous influence on companies in the manufacturing industry, but also lead to new challenges for the research sector. Especially Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs) as bridges of basic research and the industry favour technological change on the one hand and increase the competitiveness of the industry through innovative solutions on the other. (Arnold, Clark, Jávorka 2010; Breznik 2015). The resulting high need for technological innovation pushes RTOs to intensify competition for technology leadership in order to sustain market competiveness. In this regard, RTOs must be able to develop technological solutions that translate results from research and science into state-of-the-art products and services. This can only be achieved when technological resources and competences are effectively and efficiently used to build up competitive advantages. (Kröll 2007; Figueiredo 2014; Zehnder 1997) Therefore, the assessment of technological maturity can provide RTOs with information on strengths and weaknesses in their specific technology areas (Kelessidis 2000), on the basis of which technology strategies can be derived to contribute to the development and training of substantial (core) competences (Klappert, Schuh, Aghassi 2011), which in turn improve the quality of unique and differentiating products and services (EARTO 2005). In this context, the aim of this paper is to give an application example of a technological maturity assessment of a Brazilian institutes of innovation within the framework of a technology audit. The organization SENAI (National Service of Industrial Training), which is mainly responsible for vocational training and education with more than 1.000 units spread all over Brazil, started to create a network of 26 applied research units (the SENAI Innovation Institutes - ISIs) in 2012. After the first years of operation and ramping-up these institutes, the headquarter of SENAI and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, under the leadership of the Fraunhofer IPK, jointly started in 2017 to evaluate the technological maturity of the SENAI Innovation Institutes. Within this paper, the methodology as well as the results of selected technology audits that were executed in different ISIs in 2019 will be described.
  • Publication
    European standardization of innovation management: The sufficiency of the CEN/TS 16555 in the 6th generation of innovation management
    ( 2019)
    Cap, J.-P.
    ;
    Hinzmann, F.
    ;
    Kohl, H.
    ;
    Orth, R.
    Although being an innovator is an important role to play for significant growth and profitability of firms to gain competitive advantages, companies struggle to find and implement an efficient and effective innovation management system and innovation process for new product development (Salomo et al. 2007). The emerge of innovations is rarely incidentally, therefore, require a systematic approach. To enhance the innovation system, companies are constrained to develop and implement the necessary framework for all innovation activity. Contrary to regular management objectives, innovation management can constrain new barriers and unknown challenges and requires therefore a different approach compared to routine functions (Granig und Perusch 2012). The CEN/TS 16555 has the objective to prescribe technical requirements to be fulfilled for the development and implementation of a sustainable innovation management system into an organisation. The centre of this innovation management model is the innovation process which starts with an idea and ends with innovation results. As organisational aspects, such as innovation supportive leadership, strategy, factors and techniques are key elements of this model, the innovation process get enriched by assessment, improvement and planning of the process itself (Technical Specification 16555-1). This paper investigates the current European standardization activity regarding the implementation of innovation management approaches to tackle the abovementioned challenge of the implementation of innovation management in reference to the in DIN Spec CEN/TS 16555 introduced in 2016 by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). This paper will analyse the CEN/TS 16555 for its sufficiency regarding the bigger picture of innovation management by linking it to main literature and best practices. For the comparison of the specification and the innovation management requirements and purposes, this paper will specifically focus on the innovation management framework in the 6 generation of innovation management.
  • Publication
    Agent-based simulation for production planning and control in consideration of disruption events
    ( 2019)
    Bui, M.D.
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    Nguyen, Q.H.
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    Kohl, H.
    An agent-based simulation (ABS) as a computer supported decision-making tool is presented for planning and evaluating job shop production. The presented approach focuses on short-term production planning and control. It allows planners to design and modify their models by describing all activities of workers and machines regarding operations related to the manufacturing process and tasks aided in the production. The simulated model was used for analyzing different operation modes and control strategies dealing with disruption events including machine breakdown, worker absence, and product defect. This provides an easy-to-implement simulation result through a description of coordinated actions and interactions of system resources. A case study for a remanufacturing job-shop shows effects of disruption events and reaction plans on the system performances.
  • Publication
    A guideline for planning and implementing an action-based and transnational course in higher engineering education
    ( 2017)
    Stock, T.
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    Haskins, C.
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    Gladysz, B.
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    Urgo, M.
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    Kohl, H.
    This paper outlines a generic guideline for planning and implementing an actionbased and transnational course in higher education for training the engineering competencies required in a future dynamic European workplace and economy. This guidance is intended for universities, research and teaching institutes, as well as for companies interested in establishing novel teaching concepts by closing the gap between know-how and experience. The guideline will provide suggestions and lessons learned for the realization of an efficient and effective implementation. Important development phases of the guideline are explained through a use case based on a master course, which has been jointly established in cooperation by four European universities. Learning objectives for this course aim at raising the awareness about sustainable value creation by focusing on the development of sustainable and technological innovations with entrepreneurial objectives.
  • Publication
    Comparative analysis of German and Brazilian innovation systems to improve binational cooperation
    ( 2017)
    Melo, G.
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    Haunschild, J.
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    Orth, R.
    ;
    Will, M.
    ;
    Kohl, H.
    Brazil is the core economy of Latin America, and Germany plays that role for the EU. Bilateral relations between Brazil and Germany are long-standing and comprehensive. For more than 140 years, Brazil and Germany have been connected by active bilateral diplomatic relations. Based on this solid relation and their economic positions, it is interesting to find means of collaboration, especially in long-term strategies as innovation. Based on broadly literature review, this study attempts to identify strength and weaknesses of each National Innovation System through a framework that comprises six different functions and three types of interactions between the actors in the system. They are policy formulation, performing R&D, financing R&D, promotion of human resource development, technology bridging, promotion of technological entrepreneurship; R&D collaboration, technology diffusion, labour mobility. This research contributes to a new perspective that is particularly interested in the differences in these structures in developing countries and countries at the frontier. Besides, the outcome of this study guides insights on how two leading economies, which have historical great relations, could better cooperate in innovation, science and technology field. This study attempts to examine, by means of a SWOT analysis, the Brazilian and German Innovation System in order to suggest improvements on each system and the binational cooperation concerning science, technology and innovation. The first step of the paper is the identification of the strengths and weakness in each National Innovation System based on library resources, articles, reports and other secondary data. In a second step, through interviews with relevant experts, the study tries to clarify the opportunities and threats on the binational cooperation.
  • Publication
    Trust restoration in workplace relationships: Multi-level analysis of (Mis)trusting
    ( 2016)
    Ikonen, M.
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    Savolainen, T.
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    Lopez-Fresno, P.
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    Kohl, H.
    Trust is emerging as more and more important intangible asset in organizations and their leadership to enable change and improved performance for achieving strategic goals. Trust forms a foundation for cooperation in workplace relationships. The paper discusses intellectual capital and its management looking at trust and trust development as intangible resource within organization and its work relationships. The paper focuses, more specifically, on analysing trusting, i.e. how trust or mistrust develops and trust is restored following the violation and breach of trust. Empirical findings are presented based on qualitative data from several sources. The aim of the paper is to increase understanding of trust development (mistrust and restoration). The purpose of the paper is to provide insights for further research and implications for both leadership practices and human capital skills development. Through building and sustaining trust (avoiding mistrust) in work relationships competences of human intellectual capital may be enhanced for enhancing business competitiveness. Studying mistrust and trust repair is important, as empirical studies of trust development show that the process is dynamic, rather sensitive and appears as "the dynamics of evil" which may be even unintentionally boosted. The process of trust development in inter-personal relations is perceived as 'wavelike' with splashes and calm, occurring in several episodes and phases. Interpersonal trust building begins as early as during the recruitment process and stage of initiation. If the opportunity and importance of trust-building is poorly understood and performed the initiation, for example, may lead to situations of mistrust and later on even in trust violations in trusting relationships between, say, the supervisor and subordinate unless, where trust between actors may need to be restored. In the theoretical section intellectual capital and its management is discussed. In order to operate in product and/or services markets, an organization combines different types of resources, intangible and tangible, such as human competencies, skills and knowledge, social structures, infrastructures and financial assets. Intangible resources have become a critical success factor for enterprises operating in a knowledge based economy. In the paper, distrust is dealt with in more detailed dealing with the situation of trust violation and breach. This paper adopts a relational view of trust meaning that trust is seen as intellectual, relational asset developed and sustained in interaction between people and forming a foundation for collaborative learning and co-operation in organizations. Trust is commonly reciprocal activity between individuals and within groups in organizations. It is built in interaction involving communication and other activities in daily operations. In today's management multi-channel communication occurs more and more technology-mediated which challenges ways, frequency and skills of interacting. The empirical part of the paper analyses trust in workplace relationships based on empirical qualitative data from multiple sources (case, narratives, interviews) and levels (individual, dyadic and group levels). The research questions are how mistrust develops and how trust is restored following trust violation or breach. The findings show that trust may be restored but it may be challenging. The paper suggests a few implications to avoid mistrust and restore trust. Leadership and leaders role in sustaining trust is also discussed.
  • Publication
    Fostering organisational innovation through intellectual capital management
    ( 2015)
    Galeitzke, M.
    ;
    Steinhöfel, E.
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    Orth, R.
    ;
    Kohl, H.
    Knowledge and innovation have always played a crucial role in economic and social development (Kefala, 2010). As enterprises are facing constantly transforming framework conditions knowledge and innovation continue to gain importance in research and practice as means to realise sound economic, social and ecologic development. As mere product or incremental process innovations are neither a guarantee for success nor sufficient to cope with the emerging information, knowledge and time-competition (Stern and Jaberg, 2010) and as business model innovation has received increasing attention in times of change (Chesbrough, 2010; Amit and Zott, 2010) the latter shall be investigated complementarily. Design/methodology/approach - Building up on the results of previous research (Kohl et al., 2014) derived measures to improve the enterprises' innovation capability are analysed on the basis of 38 Intellectual Capital Statements. Furthermore, the data gained from a large scale survey among more than 1000 enterprises is analysed with regard to product as well as process innovation and are matched with the results gained from the analysis of the 38 ICS. Originality/value - The significance of intangible resources with regard to business success in general has evidently increased and may in some cases already be assessed as higher than the impact of tangible resources (Mertins et al., 2011; Kohl et al., 2014). This paper aims to draw conclusions on a broad empirical basis with regard to internal drivers of innovation and related differences between manufacturing and service enterprises. Practical implications - The analysis of the direct and indirect correlations between intellectual capital and innovation capabilities and the empirical foundation of these correlations allows sound statements regarding those intellectual capital factors, that should be focused by service and manufacturing enterprises to foster innovation. The examination of literature on intellectual capital and business model innovation builds the theoretical basis for future research with regard to those aspects and may show possible avenues for integrating business model innovation and intellectual capital management.
  • Publication
    Building up National Intellectual Capital Center as a national innovation strategy
    ( 2015)
    Wuscher, S.
    ;
    Kohl, H.
    ;
    Orth, R.
    Purpose of this paper is, to show the experiences from the German and European pilot projects where the developments in Germany let into a national Intellectual Capital (IC) System with different stakeholder groups. The paper shows how the German IC Center has been built up and how the different stakeholder groups spread the idea of using Intellectual Capital Statements (ICS) as a continuous management instrument to improve innovation and the future development of organizations. The paper includes how the crucial functions "qualification & training", "implementation", "quality assurance" and "dissemination" regarding IC are organized in Germany and what results have been achieved since the movement started in 2008. Approach: The definition of IC and the methodology of proceeding ICS in small and medium - sized enterprises as well as in larger companies and organizational networks have been adequately researched in the last years. Originally started as a pilot project "Intellectual Capital Statement - Made in Germany" in the "Fit fur den Wissenswettbewerb" (Fit for the Knowledge Competition) initiative, and funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, the concept of ICS is now established across Germany as a national movement of IC training, implementation and quality assurance. Furthermore the German researchers collected experiences on the European level in the European pilot - project "Intellectual Capital Statement Made in Europe (InCaS)". The concept of Intellectual Capital has thus far been researched and tested specifically with regard to enterprises and as a concept of establishing national IC Center. The experiences from Germany are the basis for the adaptation of establishing national IC Center worldwide. Value and practical implications: The paper will practically show how a national IC Center in Germany is working and how this concept is transferable to other countries which could benefit from developments and results on the practical and theoretical side "made in Germany". The paper will also outline actual research activities on defining a regional concept of IC to close the gap between the well investigated concept of IC on the company level (micro) and the concept of national IC (macro).