A method for use in technology transfer among industrialized countries

This paper presents an application of the DELPHI method to generate ideas for products and/or processes to be developed in Israel, which would result in new markets in the US and Europe. The ideas were generated by utilizing a group of technical experts. Two DELPHI rounds conducted in Israel generated ideas in the same area as those generated in the US; however, the specific ideas within an area were different, due to different backgrounds of the participants. Approximately 15 percent of the ideas generated were found to be useful and the identified contacts who were named on the product idea forms provided beneficial technical, economic, and market information. Analysis of the use of the DELPHI method indicates that, 1) feedback of new product ideas yields new suggestions in succeeding rounds, 2) increasingly specific ideas are generated in later rounds, and 3) there are a slightly higher number of ideas generated per person by scientists in industry and by university faculty than by engineers in industry.