Innovation and Technology Management

A research area of our Institute is technology and innovation management in the chemical industry and related sectors. One focus is on the interaction of product and process innovations and the management of the early phases of the innovation process.[1,2]

Another focus is on examining collaboration and, in particular, knowledge and technology transfer.[3,4] Research in this area has, for example, provided new insights into the measurement of technological distance [5], digitalization in process industries [6] and the management of open innovation [7,8].

The Institute's methodological competencies include the analysis of patents. For example, our team is a pioneer in the development of new methods for the early detection of converging industries [9-11] and has further developed these over the years [12,13]. Results from our patent analyses were also used to gain a better understanding of technology trends and the knowledge landscape in various technology fields.[14-16]

_{[1] Bauer, M., & Leker, J. (2013). Exploration and exploitation in product and process innovation in the chemical industry. R&D Management, 43(3), 196-212.}

_{[2] Zhu, H., Kock, A., Wentker, M., & Leker, J. (2019). How does online interaction affect idea quality? The effect of feedback in firm‐internal idea competitions. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 36(1), 24-40.}

_{[3] Niedergassel, B., & Leker, J. (2011). Different dimensions of knowledge in cooperative R&D projects of university scientists. Technovation, 31(4), 142-150.}

_{[4] Grosse Kathoefer, D., & Leker, J. (2012). Knowledge transfer in academia: an exploratory study on the Not-Invented-Here Syndrome. Journal of Technology Transfer, 37, 658-675.}

_{[5] Vom Stein, N., Sick, N., & Leker, J. (2015). How to measure technological distance in collaborations—The case of electric mobility. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 97, 154-167.}

_{[6] Aaldering, L. J., & Song, C. H. (2021). Of leaders and laggards-Towards digitalization of the process industries. Technovation, 105, 102211.}

_{[7] Herzog, P., & Leker, J. (2010). Open and closed innovation–different innovation cultures for different strategies. International Journal of Technology Management, 52(3/4), 322-343.}

_{[8] Ahlfänger, M., Gemünden, H. G., & Leker, J. (2022). Balancing knowledge sharing with protecting: The efficacy of formal control in open innovation projects. International Journal of Project Management, 40(2), 105-119.}

_{[9] Curran, C. S., Bröring, S., & Leker, J. (2010). Anticipating converging industries using publicly available data. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 77(3), 385-395.}

_{[10] Curran, C. S., & Leker, J. (2011). Patent indicators for monitoring convergence–examples from NFF and ICT. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 78(2), 256-273.}

_{[11] Preschitschek, N., Niemann, H., Leker, J., & G. Moehrle, M. (2013). Anticipating industry convergence: semantic analyses vs IPC co-classification analyses of patents. Foresight, 15(6), 446-464.}

_{[12] Song, C. H., Elvers, D., & Leker, J. (2017). Anticipation of converging technology areas—A refined approach for the identification of attractive fields of innovation. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 116, 98-115.}

_{[13] Sick, N., Preschitschek, N., Leker, J., & Broering, S. (2019). A new framework to assess industry convergence in high technology environments. Technovation, 84, 48-58.}

_{[14] Elvers, D., Song, C. H., Steinbüchel, A., & Leker, J. (2016). Technology trends in biodegradable polymers: evidence from patent analysis. Polymer Reviews, 56(4), 584-606.}

_{[15] Stoffels, M. A., Klauck, F. J., Hamadi, T., Glorius, F., & Leker, J. (2020). Technology trends of catalysts in hydrogenation reactions: a patent landscape analysis. Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis, 362(6), 1258-1274.}

_{[16] Aaldering, L. J., Leker, J., & Song, C. H. (2019). Competition or collaboration?–Analysis of technological knowledge ecosystem within the field of alternative powertrain systems: A patent-based approach. Journal of Cleaner Production, 212, 362-371.}