Problems and promotion of R&D project selection in Finnish high-tech manufacturing companies

Summary form only given. Selection of right R&D projects is vital for the success of development of new products. According to literature, R&D project selection is one of the weakest carried out tasks in R&D management. Many factors affecting the selection problems are interlinked with each other. Few studies have analyzed practically both the problems and their causes in R&D project selection. It is necessary to recognize and analyze both the causes and effects of selection problems to effectively promote R&D project selection. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed important causes and effects of selection problems in Finnish high-tech companies and clarified means to solve these problems. The developed analysis approach consisted of semistructured interviews, frequency analyses and causal analyses. Five medium and large-sized Finnish high-tech manufacturing companies operating in metal and electronic industries took part in this analysis. In each studied company, about ten persons from different departments participating in R&D selection were interviewed. Causal maps were exploited to illustrate and analyze the relationships of selection problems, the causes and effects of these problems and the possible negative loops concerning the selection from the standpoint of the whole company. Effective means to decrease and eliminate selection problems were clarified based on the causal maps of the studied companies and their comparison