Learning methodology of innovation architecture using case example of development of contactless palm vein pattern biometric authentication technology

The learning methodology for technology roadmapping (TRM) described in this paper comes out of the work of a Japan Techno-Economics Society group. A practical example of TRM is the innovation architecture (IA) proposed by H. Tschirky´s group at ETH Zurich. A contrasting approach for an IA is to require engineers to learn the theoretical background before they customize the IA for particular applications. The IA users would have to make great efforts to interpret IA theory for their daily tasks, described in the language of their professions. The approach to designing a learning methodology in this paper is to build an IA using a case study. Using the case study, engineers are able to learn how to develop the IA by assuming the roles of project members. The paper covers the implementation of the methodology by describing how an IA is built using a case study on the development of a biometric authentication technology (released by Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. in 2003). By using the methodology to follow the case example, an R&D organization was able to gain experience with the IA (TRM) and learn how to use it efficiently.