Technology Challenges & Opportunities in the Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical & Medical Device Industries

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Farley, Martha S. | Rouse, William B.

Affiliations: Georgia Tech Research Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA | Enterprise Support Systems, 3295 River Exchange Drive, Norcross, Georgia 30092, USA

Abstract: Realization of the projected benefits of biotechnology involves a variety of challenges and portends many opportunities.  This article focuses on technology challenges as seen by executives in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical device industries.  The results of an interview study of the nature of these challenges and opportunities are presented.  Extensive telephone interviews were conducted with executives as well as academic experts and senior managers of research institutes.  These interviews focused on identifying key cross-cutting technology challenges and opportunities, as well as sources of expertise for pursuing these ends.  Results suggest that the nature of the challenges differ for technology applications in disease control vs. applications for enabling the pursuit of science, although many of the technologies and competencies cut across these two areas.  With regard to sources of expertise, external collaboration was found to be the norm with various business-related and expertise-related factors governing choices of collaborators.

Journal: Information Knowledge Systems Management, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 133-141, 2000