Farzi

Managing Innovation And Quality of Collaborative R & D*
Dr Fang Zhao
The Centre for Management Quality Research, RMIT University P O Box 71 Bundoora 3083 Victoria Australia Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [e-mail]

ABSTRACT
This paper addresses key issues of innovation and quality in inter-organisational R & D where research providers collaborate with research users. The paper contributes to the theory and practice of managing inter-organisational R & D through developing strategies to enhance innovation, quality and entrepreneurship of the partnerships. The paper concludes that effective innovation management combined with TQM principles enhances quality of collaborative R & D and promotes cutting edge application and practice of research outputs.
Key-words: Innovation Process, Quality Management, Collaborative R & D

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Introduction

As we enter the new millennium, knowledge-based industries are increasingly becoming a key part of our industrial landscape. In the current knowledge-driven economy, innovation obviously underpins the quality of R & D and the constant generation of novel technologies. Also, in the current economy, innovation, quality and entrepreneurship become essential to R & D management including the management of collaborative R & D projects involving several organisations. The objectives of the current paper are: • to identify critical factors affecting innovation management in collaborative R and D; • to explore management and entrepreneurial skills that are required to take and develop innovative R and D; • to explore the relationship between quality and innovation in fostering and sustaining successful partnerships between research providers and users; and • to develop strategies to enhance innovation, quality and entrepreneurship of collaborative R & D.
*The author gratefully acknowledges the support of Computing Devices Canada - a General Dynamics Company - in carrying out the research reported

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