A novel fuzzy compromise optimization method to evaluating the strategies of R&D consortia in Taiwan

While entering WTO, the medium & small enterprises (M&SE) in Taiwan, accounts for 98 % of industries, are facing even more competition due to insufficient capital, human resources, and limited organization scale. To strengthen their competitiveness for globalization environment, they should have to enhance efficiency in operational management and efficiency in strategy development. Meanwhile, M&SE should aggressively form strategic R&D alliance to effectively consolidate resources to jointly achieve technological capabilities to multiply the synergy. In this study we introduce fuzzy set theory with multiple objective compromise optimization technique called fuzzy TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) to explore the roadmap of R&D alliance of machinery industry in Taiwan. Firstly, fuzzy hierarchical framework was employed to establish the evaluation system for determining the relative importance of evaluated criteria. Secondly, fuzzy geometric mean method was utilized to aggregate the performance score by individual judgment of participated evaluators under fuzzy environment. Thirdly, the fuzzy synthetic value of each development strategies was integrated. Fourthly, fuzzy TOPSIS was exploited to find the optimal compromise solution which should have the shortest distance from the positive ideal solution (PIS) as well as the farthest distance from the negative ideal solution (NIS). Finally, we successfully demonstrate that fuzzy TOPSIS is appropriate assessment for evaluation of multiple objective decision making (MODM) problems under fuzzy environment.