Robert Phaal
Director of Research in Strategic Technology and Innovation Management (STIM) at the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge. He is a leading expert in strategic technology management and the development of practical management tools, with a particular focus on technology roadmapping.
He has a mechanical engineering background and a PhD in computational mechanics. Before joining Cambridge in 1997, he worked in technical consulting, contract research, and software development. Since joining the Centre for Technology Management at the IfM, he has focused on Strategic Technology and Innovation Management, including the emergence dynamics of technology-based industries and the creation of visual strategy tools and toolkits. Strategic roadmapping has been a core area of his research and practice for over two decades. He has worked extensively with companies across many sectors through workshops, training, and the STIM consortium, helping organisations align technology, market, and business strategy.
Specialization
Strategic Technology and Innovation Management (STIM), Technology Roadmapping, Technology Evaluation, Emergence of Technology-Based Industries, and Practical Management Tools and Toolkits
Main Themes Addressed in the Lecture
- Roadmapping as a structured visual representation of strategy
- Agile and iterative approach with small initial steps
- Four levels of uncertainty and suitable techniques for each
- Application of roadmapping to COVID-19 across three horizons (crisis, transition, transformation)
- Learning from past experiences through retrospective roadmapping
- Scalability from firm level to regional and national levels
- Roadmapping as an integration and communication tool within technology strategy