Technology Management and Innovation Performance
Summary
Technology management encompasses the planning, development and deployment of technological assets within organisations to foster innovation and competitive advantage. It integrates processes such as R&D strategy, technology acquisition, capability development and performance measurement. Innovation performance refers to the outcomes of these processes, typically measured in new product launches, process improvements, market share growth and financial returns. Effective alignment between technology management practices and an organisation’s technological capabilities enhances the likelihood of successful innovation, while misalignment can lead to resource underutilisation and missed market opportunities. Globalisation, digital transformation and sustainability imperatives have elevated the importance of agile technology management, enabling firms to respond rapidly to shifting customer needs, collaborate across ecosystems and drive economic value through novel solutions.
Research from Nature Portfolio
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Research from all publishers
Recent studies have demonstrated the role of technological complexity, government influence and co-creation in boosting both technology innovation and overall organisational performance. In a Southeast Asian manufacturing context, higher levels of technology complexity were found to stimulate innovation when coupled with collaborative co-creation among stakeholders, while proactive public policy support indirectly reinforced performance outcomes.
Research on the fit between technology management and technological capability confirms that when these elements are properly aligned, new product development performance improves significantly. Firms with advanced technological skills tend to derive greater benefits from technology management practices, whereas in lower capability settings, emphasis on structured management processes yields higher innovation outputs.
An analysis of technology management practices across varying capability stages highlights that different management domains—such as information management in early stages, human resource and quality management at intermediate stages, and cultural and risk management at advanced stages—have distinct impacts on product innovation performance. This contingency perspective offers guidance for tailoring management efforts to an organisation’s capability maturity.
Technology Management and Innovation Performance publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in technology management and innovation performance across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Technology management: The systematic planning, execution and oversight of technological resources and processes to achieve strategic innovation objectives.
Technological capability: The skills, knowledge and infrastructure within an organisation that enable effective development and utilisation of new technologies.
Co-creation: A collaborative innovation process in which multiple stakeholders jointly generate, refine and implement technological solutions.
Technological complexity: The degree of intricacy inherent in a technology, determined by factors such as modularity, interdependencies and required expertise.
Product innovation performance: The measurable outcomes of new or improved products, typically assessed by market adoption, revenue impact and competitive differentiation.
References
- Technology innovation, technology complexity, and co-creation effects on organizational performance: The role of government influence and co-creation. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity (2023).
- The Fit between Technology Management and Technological Capability and Its Impact on New Product Development Performance. Sustainability (2021).
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