Technology Commercialization: DEA and Related Analytical Methods for Evaluating the Use and Implementation of Technical Innovation

This title examines both general research and development commercialization and targeted new product innovation. New product development is a major occupation of the technical sector of the global economy and is viewed in many ways as a means of economic stability for a business, an industry, and a country. The heart of the book is a detailing of the analytical methods - with special, but not exclusive emphasis on DEA methods - for evaluating and ranking the most promising R&D and technical innovation being developed. The sponsors of the research and development may involve universities, countries, industries, and corporations - all of these sources are covered in the book. In addition, the trade-off of environmental problems vis-a-vis new product development is discussed in a section of the book. Sten Thore has woven together the chapter contributions by a strong group of international researchers into a book that has characteristics of both a monograph and a unified edited volume of well-written papers in DEA, technology evaluation, R&D, and environmental economics.

The book's emphasis on methods for evaluative ranking the multiple dimensions of research and development should make the book useful for a wide audience of researchers, students, and practitioners. Finally, the use of DEA as an evaluation method for product innovation is an important new development in the field of R&D commercialization.