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Research, Development and Innovation Management Process
to Generate Aerospace Defence Technologies
Guillermo Giraldo*, Jimmy Anderson, Luis Valencia, and Jhon Escobar
Abstract—The research proposes the analysis of technology
management and innovation model, from the experience of
twenty Colombian researchers, from a Research, Development
and Innovation Centre related to aerospace and defence issues,
such as, objective of RDI in defence, the ideation process, the
process of developing science, technology and innovation (STI)
projects, the organizational structure for RDI, the availability of
public and private resources, the project financing process, the
corporate willingness to adopt technologies, the support process
for the technologies developed and the transfer of results were
reviewed. The research was developed under the qualitative
method, carrying out a descriptive and non-experimental
analysis under an empirical phenomenological design, using
interviews as a research instrument. As a result, it was possible
to identify parameters to enhance and improve RDI capabilities
in aerospace defence projects and generate a spillover effect on
other actors, identifying relevant aspects to strengthen.
Index Terms—Production, technology and research, project
management, defence activities, technology transfer, innovation
I. INTRODUCTION
In Colombia, innovation has been part of the value
government's proposition to transform productive tissue [1, 2]
It can be seen how Colombian policy gives more excellent
high-added value processes and products as an equity and
national competitiveness promoter.
Colombian Air Force (C.A.F.) uses technological assets
such as aircraft, sensors, radars, and information systems. It
has explained that technology is essential for strengthening
capacities and fulfilling institutional vision [3–8]. So, the
C.A.F. has been strengthening its science and technology
system to contribute to innovation and achieve a strategic
position as a regional benchmark in the sector.
This kind of innovation initiative in the defence sector
seeks to obtain a strategic advantage or improve the economy,
represented in operational and logistic savings [9, 10]. Also, it
is necessary to promote high-value-added industries,
conceptualizing the importance of the environment for
generating innovation to create competitive business
advantage and strengthen economic development. All of these,
Manuscript received April 24, 2023; revised May 24, 2023; accepted
June 6, 2023.
Guillermo Giraldo is with Faculty Accounting and Administration,
Department Doctorate Technological Management and innovation - Science,
Technology and Innovation Direction (C.A.F), Autonomous Queretaro
University and Colombian Air force (C.A.F), Bogota D.C., Colombia.
Jimmy Anderson is with Organizational World Research Group, Faculty
Business Studies, Corporation University Remington, Medellin, Colombia.
Luis Valencia is with Department Doctorate Technological Management
and Innovation, Faculty Accounting and Administration, Autonomous
Queretaro University, Santiago Queretaro, Mexico.
Jhon Escobar is with Organizational World Research Group, Faculty
Business Studies, Corporation University Remington, Colombia.
*Correspondence: Guillermo.giraldo@fac.mil.co (G.G.)
integrating into the defence sector, it will promote the
development of a solid national industry [11, 12].
Technological development, due to geopolitical and
economic factors, has become a critical element for the
development of nations [13, 14], where it is described as these
elements are the basis of international status and influence in
the global environment, contributing to the country's
competitive advantage, [15]. This is reflected in defence and
aerospace sectors, due to their characteristics and needs for
adopting and generating new technologies, which allows us to
intuit the competitive advantage.
In this sense, each effort in science, technology and
innovation should be designed to generate strategic military
advantages and oriented to support the fulfilment institutional
mission. To achieve this, it is necessary to understand the
innovation process as the development of new capabilities in
goods or services, which are implemented within the
organization's internal processes or transferred toward an
external entity for dual application and economic exploitation
[10, 16–19]. Becoming, the institutional learning processes as
the basis for the innovation process's success [20]. this
concept would take place between the fourth and fifth
generation of innovation processes that would apply to
Colombia's current economic development [2].
An analysis of the air force's science and technology system
presented by [21], reflecting the need to improve research and
development institutional processes, optimizing the system to
generate results, savings, institutional and national
capabilities and strategic advantages for Colombia's national
security. Also, the defence sector has generated technology
transfer processes getting resources and capabilities for social
and industrial development [22].
The qualitative method was selected for this article under
the perspectives of C.A.F’s researchers, about the institutional
technology management and innovation model. They
evaluated the objective of RDI in defence, stages for
developing a project, ideas process selection, the relevance of
the organizational infrastructure, research availability capital,
absorption and support of technologies developed by the
organization. Identifying relevant aspects for successful
development that strengthen capabilities in Colombia’s
security and defence, trying to answer the question: How
should research and development be strengthened to generate
high value-added defence aerospace projects?
II. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Research, development and innovation (RDI) are
commonly used terms; however, each term has a different
context; therefore, a primary differentiation is necessary.
International Journal of Innovation, Management and Technology, Vol. 14, No. 4, November 2023
128
doi: 10.18178/ijimt.2023.14.4.949
According to the Oslo Manual [23], innovation is introducing
a new or significantly improved product (good or service) or
process or introducing a new marketing or organizational
method applied to business practices, workplace organization
or external relations. For the Frascati Manual [24], research
and development involve creative and systematic work,
aiming to increase the volume of knowledge and devising new
applications based on available knowledge. Both manuals are
agreed that the basis of innovation is the appropriation of
knowledge and the flow of information, which is decisive for
social and economic growth.
This theoretical background support eight variables studied
in this research as following:
A. Defence Research, Development and Innovation
Defence research should create value in the economy's
growth and strengthen the country's defence capabilities [25].
The objective of defence RDI should seek economic
development and the protection of the country's strategic
interests, achieved in developing and commercializing high
technology in defence and security [26]. Looking at Israel's
case, said that defence research should be developed under
creative pragmatism and anti-intellectualism [27].
Creative pragmatism in defence is practical, imaginative,
open and focused on solving concrete problems, emphasizing
intuition, experience and common sense over theory, with
practical and flexible solutions according to the
circumstances, and a non-punitive mentality towards criticism
of military doctrine and established ideas to encourage critical
thinking, organizational learning and bottom-up innovation.
Israel's case, innovation is linked to survivability, practicality,
and simplicity, with high levels of trust between different
groups and their subordinates [27].
Anti-intellectualism is defined as rejecting the
development of abstract theories, military intellectuals, and a
tendency to seek short-term solutions not based on sound
strategic thinking, all supported by technocentrism and simple
problem-solving [27].
B. The Idea Selection Process for RDI Projects
This study analyzed the process of filtering and selecting
ideas, under the innovation funnel (to filter) and
organizational attractors from complexity concept (to
selection). This study focused on understanding, observing
and ideating to determine the best way to filter ideas under
these methodologies.
The Innovation funnel, channels ideas allowing their
tracking and monitoring until they become services or
products, filtering innovative ideas contrasted against
feasibility only the best products, processes or business
models are launched towards the market. It comprises six
steps: Opportunity generation, assessment, prioritization,
project definition, implementation and monitoring. Although
in this research, we focused on the first three steps that present
the process of filtering ideas [28].
Generation of opportunities: Creative phase in which the
participants suggest all the ideas that seem interesting for
innovation.
Evaluation: The first filtering of the ideas, which were
generically proposed, to turn them into opportunities
(challenges) that respond to the organization's real
innovation needs.
Prioritization: This process consists of evaluation and
prioritization to address a manageable number of projects
The concept of organizational attractors of complexity can
be presented as a natural selection process. These attractors
are those frames of reference that enable the complex
dynamics of the organization in its different dimensions [29].
Fields of attraction are not static; they have their dynamics but
are more predictable in organizational dynamics. Fields that
limit the chaotic performance of the organization are [30]:
Organisation's Vision • Products or Services
Organisation's Mission • Power groups
C. Science, Technology and Innovation Projects
To analyze how STI projects are developed in the
organization, the research took the stages established and
stipulated by the C.A.F.'s research model, adding the concept
of idealization and market development for products with the
double application, taking place the following process:
1) Idealization and customer requirements; Idea
structuration process to identify needs and problems to be
solved from a design perspective as a possible solution,
restricted by the limitations imposed by the end customer
within the framework of agile methodologies [31, 32].
2) Research (formative or applied); Process developed in
different approaches and modalities. It is oriented towards
generating knowledge that allows or contributes to the
original and significant expansion of the scientific and
technological frontier. The processes of knowledge
production must seek recognition in the universal
dimension [33].
3) Technological development corresponds to focused on
identifying, designing, building and technically and
functionally products, the responses to the institution's
needs, which can be developed through partnerships with
the productive sector in pursuit of industrial scaling of
developments and their subsequent transfer [33].
4) Internal technology transfer (support or operation) or
external (double application and support): the process
where they implement, integrate, or transfer knowledge
assets within the organization; from one organization to
another or within departments to continue its
technological development and eventually carry out the
commercialization of new products, processes,
applications, materials or services. Furthermore,
technology transfer should boost the development and
growth of different economic sectors through access to the
knowledge and experience of RDI groups [33].
5) Market development (for products with double
application): After the transfer phase, it is essential that
the recipient company assimilates, scales, and integrates
the technology into its production processes to obtain a
pre-industrial pilot prototype. In this phase, heavy
investments are again required to carry out the industrial
scaling process and generate and implement marketing
strategies by innovative manufacturing companies [34].
D. Organizational Infrastructure for RDI
Organizations seek to obtain high performance and
International Journal of Innovation, Management and Technology, Vol. 14, No. 4, November 2023
129
efficiency in developing RDI project activities. On a study of
100 companies, it was possible to determine, that to achieve a
formal integration in organizations from a rationality
perspective, it is essential the interaction and assertiveness,
given that the increased structural complexity presents
significant relationships with the organization's rationality but
not with its exchange and assertiveness, companies with the
highest performance were highlighted by their results in
aspects such as analysis, orientation towards the future,
strategic clarity, environment exploration, consensus,
negotiation, proactivity [35].
The organizational theory proposes three key topics to
study: organizational structure, design, and management, the
three aspects with which the research is contrasted. Firstly,
according to Hodge (2003), the organizational structure
shows authority relationships with formal channels, formal
working groups, and formal lines of responsibility. Secondly,
Rico (2004) defines corporate design as "the process to build
or change the structure of an organization to achieve its
planned objectives" [36]. Finally, regarding management,
there are several relevant definitions of business management,
finding pertinent the following "the measures and strategies
carried out to make the company economically viable taking
into account financial factors, productive and logistical,
which in the same way seek to carry out the necessary
procedures to resolve a situation or materialize a project‖
[37].
E. Research Capital
Investments in defence R&D in developing countries have
historically depended on state support, due to the high risk
involved. The government support for innovation establishes
the basis for a country's economic development, describing
several business and sectoral cases in the public sector, such
as the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency
(DARPA) and the National Nanotechnology Initiative (INN)
in the United States, the European Organisation for Nuclear
Research (CERN) in Europe, the Brazilian National
Development Bank (BNDES) or China Development Bank
(CDB); and companies such as Apple, Solyndra, Vestas in the
private sector. In the same way, public capital is an innovative
force for change, controlling variables and minimizing risks
and uncertainty. The private capital represents economic
growth and productive strength. As a result, only there are
these two mechanisms for obtaining resources for this type of
research [38].
According to the National Competitiveness Report 2021-
2022, the level of investment in R&D in Colombia is 0.29 %
of the GDP. The average in Latin America is 0.56% [39]. In
OECD countries (2.5%) and the private sector investment
reached 24 billion, which represents approximately 4% of its
sales revenue according to the National Association of
Entrepreneurs of Colombia (ANDI) Annual Innovation
Ranking for 2020 [40]. This shows this type of capital in the
country, but at low levels in contrast with other countries in
the region.
F. Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs).
Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) are a systematic
metric that supports assessments of the maturity of a
particular technology and the consistent comparison of
maturity between different types of technology. The TRL
approach has been used intermittently in NASA space
technology planning, ranging from basic research levels on
new technologies and concepts, to technology development
and demonstration for each specific system development
(through manufacturing the first unit) and system launch and
operations [41].
In the defence sector, to measure technological maturity,
the US Department of Defence requires at least TRL7 for
weapon systems; this TRL-based acquisition method was
subsequently copied by other military organizations
worldwide [42]. This is the goal that must be reached in
military’s technologies.
G. Technology Absorption
Defence organizations must continuously develop
'absorptive capabilities' to anticipate, understand and absorb
mission-driven technologies [27]. According to Branscomb
(1992) cited by [43], successful companies develop the
capacity to absorb technologies rapidly and not necessarily
create new technologies.
Technology absorption refers to a firm's acquisition,
development, assimilation and utilization of knowledge and
technological capabilities from an external source [43]. An
endogenous perspective is conceived for this work,
considering the research centers as external sources that
generate products for C.A.F. military units that fulfill the
mission, where take place transactions between RDI centers
and Military bases are as follows: which transferor are the
RDI centers and the recipients are the militaries units.
Developing the process in two dimensions:
The first dimension covers the spectrum from creating
new knowledge to maintaining a product. It includes the
invention and development of products, the processes
necessary for manufacture, delivering them to end
customers (military units) and processing information
inherent to fulfilling the organization's mission [43].
The second dimension is practical. It is the feelings,
attitudes and understanding necessary to enable the two
groups of people with different skills, values and priorities
to be successful. Without such effective affinity between
these groups of people, the transfer process may fail or
break down [43].
III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The research was conducted under the qualitative approach;
the object of analysis was the Science, Technology and
Innovation System of the Colombian Air Force (C.A.F.), the
method used was phenomenological through intuitive
experience, which is also called evident from all that is
perceptible. This method aims to describe the meaning of
lived experiences of different individuals. The sample was
taken from the personnel of the Aerospace Technological
Development Defence Centre (CETAD), which was selected
for convenience because it is a unique center of the C.A.F.
that has carried technologies to the technology transfer
process, developing products that have generated the highest
ROI index for the C.A.F and it was also the most experienced
group of researchers into the organization.
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130
The instrument validation process by experts was carried
out with the Head of the CETAD RDI Centre and the
Operational Specialist in Innovation and Technology
Transfer of the C.A.F [44].
To carry out the analysis, firstly, a documentary review of
instructions, procedures and manuals of the Science,
Technology and Innovation System was carried out, with
which the tool for the development of in-depth interviews was
constructed, which aimed to achieve learning about events
and activities that cannot be observed directly, where the
interlocutors are used as informants describing what happens
and their perceptions from their experience on each of the
factors evaluated [45].
The interviews were applied in panel mode, with
researchers divided into working groups (technology
management group, innovation group and command and
control group), with the participation of twenty people [46].
The work allowed to generate a critical attitude of the
CETAD actors according to their experiences in the RDI
process to generate defence products that supply the
Colombian Air Force's tactical, operational and strategic
needs.
Likewise, its theoretical contrasting was carried out using
information from reliable scientific sources, Science Direct
and Google Academic search and guides and manuals from
Colombian Air Force.
For the development of this research, the theoretical factors
and variables listed below in Table I:
TABLE I: FACTORS AND VARIABLES EXAMINED IN THE INTERVIEWS
Questions
Theoretical Factor
Variables
1
Defence RDI
Defence RDI objectives
2
Project idea
selection process
Filtering and selection of ideas for
RDI projects
3
Science, technology
and innovation
projects
Project development stages
4
Organizational
infrastructure for
RDI
Efficient RDI structure
5
Research Capital
Availability of public and private
resources for RDI
6
Technological
development levels
(TRL)
Financing stages of a project
7
Technological
absorption
Organizational readiness to
absorb technologies
8 and 9
Industrial Scale-up
and Technology
Transfer
Support RDI products and transfer
of results
The questions which were constructed and applied for the
development and analysis of these factors and variables were
as follows in Table II:
TABLE II: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Variables
Question 1. What is the purpose of developing RDI activities inside the
organization?
Question 2. What characteristics should be considered when filtering and
selecting ideas for developing defence aerospace RDI projects?
Question 3. Do you consider that these stages are required to generate a
defence science, technology, and innovative product with a high
probability of success? 1. Idealisation and customer requirements; 2.
research (formative or applied); 3. technological development; 4.
implementation or technological integration within the organization; 5.
internal technology transfer (support or operation) or external (double
application); 6. market development (for products with dual application).
Question 4. Do you consider that the organizational structure and
processes, to be about aerospace RDI projects efficiently, require
modifications or continue with the current system? If you believe changes
should be made, what improvements are made? Why?
Question 5. Do you consider that public and private venture capital
resources are available to develop defence aerospace RDI projects? Why?
Question 6. Do you consider that financing processes for RDI projects
have enough to obtain a reliable product with a development level higher
than TRL 7? Why?
Question 7. Do you think the necessary rules and policies exist for the
organization to absorb the products generated by the R&D centers? Why?
Question 8. Do you consider that once the products are finished and
implemented, their support should be transferred to the industry or
generate a capacity within the organization to guarantee their useful life
and correct operation? Why?
A thematic analysis was carried out for the interviews.
Answers were identified and categorized based on their
patterns, determined for each variable analyzed.
Categories were ranked according to their level of
relevance as measured by the rate of approval and consensus
amongst everybody involved in the research as indicated in
Table III:
TABLE III: RELEVANCE RANKING
Relevance Rating
Consensus Index
Not relevant
From 0 to 0.29
Relevant
From 0.3 to 0.6
Very Relevant
From 0.7 until 1
Approval and Consensus Index is determined by the
number of times an interview participant gives similar
answers on a particular topic and categories were built
through each question. It is important to note that one answer
may affect several categories [44].
IV. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The most relevant aspects found in the interviews with the
research center's actors will be taken to analyze the results.
A. Question 1. What Is the Purpose of Developing RDI
Activities Inside the Organization?
The coding of the interviews revealed that the objective of
developing RDI activities in the organization should be to
establish "military technological advantages," as indicated by
60% of the participants in their answers, which suggests a
critical consensus. In addition, explicit comments such as:
"The objective of developing science and technology
activities in the C.A.F. is to provide a technological
advantage for the development of air operations."
The next category displayed was "Meeting Needs for
Fulfillment Mission," with 40% approval. Observations
included: "The objective of this type of activity is to meet the
needs and automate some processes, thereby increasing
C.A.F’s capabilities."With the consent of 30% of the
participants, the other category with the most excellent
representation was "Generating Products with a Return On
Investment (ROI)," which is reflected in the benefit of
reducing operating costs and income from royalties.
Comments such as "With RDI, it is important to generate a
product to obtain profits or military advantages, but there is a
lack of awareness in the organization" and "Other institutions
seek, through research, development, and innovation, the
International Journal of Innovation, Management and Technology, Vol. 14, No. 4, November 2023
131
production of profits" were observed and getting the results
showed in Fig. 1.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Be a r eferen ce
Technological
militar y advanta ge
Commercialization
Generate
capacities
Meeti ng ne eds,
mission fulfillment
Generate
knowle dge
Genera te products
with an R OI
Technological
independence
Regiona l
deterrence
Fig. 1. Objective of RDI.
B. Question 2. What Characteristics should Be
Considered When Filtering and Selecting Ideas for
Developing Defence Aerospace RDI Projects?
The characteristics of the ideas presented must generate a
clear contribution to the institutional vision
and mission fulfillment with a consensus level of 70%,
secondly, cause a technological advantage with 65%, and
thirdly, solve operational problems with 50%. These three
concepts support mission fulfillment as a fundamental axis,
acting as an attractive element to focus the ideas generated.
On a second level, it is crucial to have "clearly defined needs
to be selected," reflected in observations such as: "the
analysis of the problems or needs of the end client must be
generated and improved, through a better analysis of
economic viability."
Another important aspect to consider is how the project
funded can generate a return on investment, with comments
such as: "the economic viability must be determined through
the institutional savings generated by the research project".
Researchers also generated proposals such as: "two areas
should be created, one for the C.A.F.'s basic operational
needs and the other dedicated purely to innovation through
highly complex projects".
C. Question 3. Has It Been Considered That These Stages
Are Required to Generate a Defence Science, Technology
and Innovation Product with a High Probability of Success?
1) Idealisation and customer requirements; 2. Research
(formative or applied); 3. Technological development; 4.
Implementation or technological integration within the
organization; 5. Internal technology transfer (support or
operation) or external (double application); 6. market
development (for products with dual application)
Fifty-five percent consider that the stages outlined above
would cover the necessary phases to ensure a high probability
of success for defence science, technology, and innovative
products. Forty-five percent consider that the stages indicated
do not cover all the settings and that a validation stage should
be incorporated before number five by a consensus of 75%. In
addition, it is necessary to include the step "administrative
and documentary process" as a transversal process with
continuous monitoring to guarantee the correct execution of
projects and the appropriate knowledge management process
with 55% consensus.
Additionally, they consider a vital stage categorized as
"assessment and feasibility" with a 45% consensus to make
the projects technically and financially feasible, as evidenced
in quotes such as "It is necessary to identify market trends,
assess feasibility, and identify both external and internal
stakeholders to guide the process."
Also, it was noted that interviewees indicated that it is
crucial to modify the organization's current research model to
incorporate elements such as "Stakeholder Assessment and
Identification," "Product Delivery," "Responsibilities on TRL
Levels to be achieved by each stakeholder," "Types of
Prototypes to be Achieved," "Project Adjustments in Field
Tests," "Support of the Generated Product," and "Incorporate
Policies to Facilitate Implementation."
D. Question 4. Has It Been Considered That the
Organizational Structure and Processes to Carry out
Aerospace RDI Projects Efficiently Require Modifications or
Continue with the Current Structure? If It Has Been Assumed
That Improvements Be Made, What Do You Think Should Be
Made? Why?
All the teams interviewed consider that organizational and
procedural modifications should be made to carry out RDI
projects within the organization efficiently; the strong
tendency was towards the optimization of administrative
processes, proposing comments such as "we should stop
working on business models and focus on our problems, in
other words, generate processes adjusted to institutional
conditions," "The administrative load restricts freedom of
thought" or "there is much bureaucracy, which generates
much administrative workload for researchers.", such as is
showed in Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Modifications organisational infrastructure for RDI.
In the same way, three aspects of harmonization within the
system are highlighted: "Integration and implementation with
the final client," improving "Communication with
Stakeholders" of RDI projects and "Communication between
the C.A.F's RDI centers" to generate projects with higher
impact. Highlighting comments such as "Specialisation in the
achievements of each Centre without overlapping the lines of
research, for example, CETAD has achieved with its research
in command and control, establishing a capacity in this
International Journal of Innovation, Management and Technology, Vol. 14, No. 4, November 2023
132
area".
E. Question 5. Has It Been Considered That Public and
Private Venture Capital Resources Are Available to Develop
Defence Aerospace RDI Projects? Why?
All researchers said public capital is available. The teams
provided information from two public entities: the own
organization and the Ministry of Science and Technology.
However, comments such as: "MINCIENCIAS does not
support defence products, so work must be done at all levels
to seek dual applications, and special long-term financing
systems are also required" or ―Efforts must be made to
generate national impact projects with special long-term
funding‖ demonstrating that MINCIENCIAS does not
currently have a funding mechanism to guarantee support for
science and technology projects in the long term, aligned with
[2].
When referring to private capital, 50% of the researchers
consider that there is an availability of resources; however,
according to the researchers' opinion, private organizations
are looking for short-term business, which is an obvious
problem in the aerospace and defence sector [47, 48].
Furthermore, it was found that defence development lines are
not of interest to private companies, as there are no guarantees
to invest, because the government does not guarantee that
developed technologies will be purchased. These elements
demonstrate that there are no tools and procedures to
efficiently access private capital with guarantees.
The other 25% of respondents are unclear or unaware of the
availability private venture capital resources to develop
defence aerospace RDI projects and the other 25% feel that
there aren’t availability of private resources.
F. Question 6. Has It Been Considered That Financing
Processes for RDI Projects Have Enough to Obtain a
Reliable Product with a Development Level Higher than TRL
7? Why?
Sixty percent consider that they need more funding and
resources to carry projects toward TRL7, basing their
argument on the fact that the C.A.F system only provides
financial support until prototyping, in most cases, until TRL 4
is reached. Neither contemplates contingencies for project
development as well as not ensuring the necessary resources
to achieve optimum products levels of quality or reliability.
Forty percent of the participants consider that only partially
are financed and some projects have been able to develop
TRL7 with a lot of effort and optimization of resources,
supported by individual efforts, with comments such as: "it
has been possible to carry projects such as the Satellite
Positioning System, the Horus Command and Control system,
the C3E Command and Control system to this level, although
with a high-level commitment from the researchers and
optimizing resources as much as possible".
G. Question 7. Has It Been Thinking of the Necessary
Rules and Policies Exist for the Organization to Absorb the
Products Generated by the R&D Centers? Why?
Eighty percent consider there are no regulations to
guarantee the generated products consumption and demand
by the organization's RDI centers; The other 20% did not
know or did not answer.There are not procedures nor internal
policies, which enable the operational and logistical
commands to absorb products quickly. In the interview, the
reasons why the effects of the RDI Centres are not being
absorbed were presented in a fragmented way, indicating with
comments such as: "there is unwillingness of agencies to
receive technologies", "the system have inventory
management problems to receive technologies," " There have
been difficulties assigning persons responsible for
technology operation," ―There are many problems assigning
persons responsible for technology support" and "problems
with end-user participation during product development and
implementation", "Stakeholders and end-users are not
identified, nor the process to bring the product to the
end-user effectively" and "Temporary major states are
required to receive the technologies such as when an aircraft
is purchased to ensure its implementation."
H. Question 8. Has It Been Considered That Once the
Products Are Finished and Implemented, Their Support
Should Be Transferred to the Industry or Generate a
Capacity within the Organization to Guarantee Their Useful
Life and Correct Operation? Why?
Fifty percent believe that once the products are finished and
implemented, their support should be transferred to the
industry, 40% believe that it should be a mixed modality
between the industry and the organization depending on the
level of support required by the product, and finally, 10%
believe that there should be a capacity within the organization
with comments such as "transferring to the industry may
violate security protocols" or ―it can be transferred according
to the information classification handled by the project‖.
However, the interviews generated opinions about main
objective must not be the commercialisation process itself,
instead, it must be the operational support of developed
technologies, with a consensus of 85%.
I. Question 9. Have There Been Any Cases of Transferring
the Results of the RDI Products Generated by the Center to
the Productive Sector for Industrial Scaling? Why?.
This point shows how processes of transferring RDI results
have been carried out to encourage the productive sector with
their industrial activities; 90% of the group's members
recognize that these transfer processes have been carried out,
highlighting products such as the "Horus" Command and
Control System, the Camouflage Pattern with Wavy Lines,
the TPS-70 visualization system, and the Satellite Positioning
System. The group claims that "industrial scaling should be
given when it is transferred to industry and incorporated into
the operation" and "products have been scaled up to supply
domestic demand." However, the interviews generated
opinions which showed the main objective must not be the
commercialisation process itself, instead, it must be the
operational support, with a consensus of 85%.
The questions gave the following coding of categories,
which present the following consensus and relevance indices
shown in Table IV.
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133
TABLE IV: CATEGORY RATING
Questions
Variables
Codified Categories
Consensus
Index
Relevance Rating
1
V1 Defence
RDI
objectives
P1C1 Be a reference
0.2
Not relevant
P1C2 Technological military advantage
0.6
Relevant
P1C3 Commercialization
0.15
Not relevant
P1C4 Generate capacities
0.2
Not relevant
P1C5 Meeting needs, mission fulfillment
0.4
Relevant
P1C6 Generate knowledge
0.25
Not relevant
P1C7 Generate products with an ROI
0.3
Relevant
P1C8 Technological independence
0.1
Not relevant
P1C9 Regional deterrence
0.15
Not relevant
2
V2 Filtering
and selection
of ideas for
RDI projects
P2C1 Solve operational problems
0.5
Relevant
P2C2 Ideas that can be easily fixed with a provider
0.1
Not relevant
P2C3 Engineering levels
0.2
Not relevant
P2C4 Military technological advantage
0.65
Relevant
P2C5 Aim to fulfill the C.A.F mission and vision
0.7
Very Relevant
P2C6 Feasibility of implementation in the operation
0.15
Not relevant
P2C7 Suitable personal accompaniment of the operational area
0.1
Not relevant
P2C8 Suitability of the research team
0.15
Not relevant
P2C9 Clearly defined need
0.4
Relevant
P2C10 Economic viability and ROI
0.35
Relevant
P2C11 Alignment with trends
0.1
Not relevant
P2C12 Reduce operational risk
0.1
Not relevant
3
V3 Project
development
stages
P3C1 Validation stage
0.75
Very Relevant
P3C2 Evaluation and viability
0.45
Relevant
P3C3 Administrative and documentary transversal process
0.55
Relevant
P3C4 No further steps are required
0.45
Not relevant
P3C5 Further steps are required in the process
0.55
Relevant is
excluding with P3C4
/ Majority considers
that it is necessary to
add stages
4
V4 Efficient
RDI structure
P4C1 Setting out a forward-looking medium and long-term vision
0.2
Not relevant
P4C2 Development of an investment plan
0.2
Not relevant
P4C3 Eventual revisions of the vision
0.1
Not relevant
P4C4 Communication between the Centres
0.35
Relevant
P4C5 Stakeholders Communication
0.30
Relevant
P4C6 Integration and implementation with the final customer
0.35
Relevant
P4C7 Optimise administrative processes
0.65
Relevant
P4C8 Centralise administrative tasks
0.25
Not relevant
P4C9 Create technology transfer section
0.15
Not relevant
P4C10 Improve administrative and logistical support of the centres
0.2
Not relevant
P4C11 Better evaluation of project risk variables
0.1
Not relevant
P4C12 Specialisation of RDI centres
0.2
Not relevant
5
V5
Availability of
public and
private
resources for
RDI
P5C1 Public Resources Availability
1
Very Relevant
P5C2 NO Public Resources Availability
0
Not relevant
P5C3 Private resources available
0.5
Relevant
P5C4 NO Private resources available
0.25
Not relevant
P5C5 Not knowing about private resources availability
0.25
Not relevant
6
V6 Financing
stages of a
project
P6C1 Partial financing of projects to achieve TRL7
0.4
Relevant
P6C2 Projects are not financed to achieve TRL7
0.6
Relevant
7
V7
Organizationa
l readiness to
absorb
technologies
P7C1 They are not knowledgeable about existence of related standards and
policies.
0.2
Not relevant
P7C2 Rules and policies to articulate internal stakeholders, to implement
products
0.8
Not relevant
8 y 9
V8 Support
RDI products
and transfer of
results
P8C1 Transfer to industry
0.5
Relevant
P8C2 Build Capability within the organisation
0.1
Not relevant
P8C3 Create a mixed modality depending on the level of support
0.4
Relevant
P9C1 Transfer for operational support and logistics of technologies developed
0.85
Relevant
P9C2 Transfer to commercialisation
0.15
Not relevant
P9C3 There is a technology transfer scheme in place
0.9
Very Relevant
P9C4 No transfer processes identified or considered necessary
0.1
Not relevant
International Journal of Innovation, Management and Technology, Vol. 14, No. 4, November 2023
134
V. DISCUSSION
RDI in defence, according to the perspective of the
Colombian Air Force researchers, requires clear objectives,
such as obtaining "military technological advantages" (60%
approval, P1C2), "Meeting Needs for Fulfillment Mission"
(40% approval, P1C5) and "Generating Products with a
Return On Investment (ROI)" (30% approval, PIC7),
showing a precise alignment with the development of
technologies which fit with specific practical orientation,
focused on solving concrete problems required by the C.A.F.,
displaying the concepts put forward by [27] and [26], about
defence research objectives that should be determined by
creative pragmatic thinking and anti-intellectualism, to
contribute to the development and commercialization of high
technology, which stimulates economic growth and
simultaneously the capacity of defence institutions.
The filter of ideas and projects must be oriented towards
solving operational problems with a 50% consensus (P2C1).
In addition, user needs and requirements must be identified
clearly (P2C9), to generate adequate, efficient and
satisfactory solutions to complex organizational problems by
40% of consensus. Researchers proposal create two areas in
the research process: one that solves basic needs for the
organization's operations and another dedicated to innovation
processes at developing high-impact projects to create
military advantages. It would facilitate the process of
opportunity generation, evaluation and prioritisation [28].
The attraction fields upon which the organization's Vision
and Mission define the selection process ideas for RDI
projects. which should be selected following their
contribution to the development of these attraction fields with
a consensus of 70% (P2C5), another area of attraction is
around products or services focused on the fact that they
should generate a technological advantage with an agreement
of 65% (P2C4) aligned to the attractors of organisational
complexity [30].
Likewise, a process of selection, evaluation and
prioritization of ideas must be established, according to
feasibility economic studies and ROI (P2C10), using the
perspective provided by the innovation funnel technique,
showing that the C.A.F. need an adequate filter in the
decision-making process at the organization's management
levels, to create an efficient system.
Regarding the stages a science, technology and innovation
project should contain [33], there is a divided interpretation in
the studied group, which 55% consider that the current stages
fulfill the function. In contrast, 45% believe that the following
stages should be added: Firstly, Validation according to the
authors' criteria, this could be incorporated within the concept
of Idealisation and client requirements, (P3C1), secondly, a
transversal documentary and administrative management
process (P3C3) and thirdly evaluation and feasibility process
(P3C2).
Organisational adjustments must be made to improve
efficiency in the development of RDI projects, because there
is a lack of adequate technical-scientific organisational
infrastructure, affected by inadequate communication and
governance between stakeholders and RDI centres, not
facilitating consensus (P4C4, P4C5, P4C6). Shortcomings
was reflected in assertiveness and interaction, relationships of
authority, formal channels of authority, formal working
groups, and formal lines of accountability as defined by
Hodge (2003) [35, 36].
The organisation needs to optimise processes (P4C7), due
to the fact that researchers perceive a lot of bureaucracy as a
barrier to innovation. Administrative workloads and
insufficient incentives to encourage creative thinking and
proactivity among researchers in RDI processes need to be
analysed (P4C7). Affecting the rationality of C.A.F as was
described by [35].
There is availability of public capital for research and
development (P5C1), the leading promoter being the
organization itself; However, there are other actors, such as
MINCIENCIAS, with available resources. However, they
need legal mechanisms to finance projects with a long-term
vision or programs in the aerospace and defence sectors.
According to the researchers, private capital is available
(P5C3). However, they seek results and institutional
commitments. But, there are legal, procedural and
administrative limitations to be assumed by the public sector,
accompanied by a short-term vision to obtain results.
Additionally, these are not becoming articulating axes and
promoters of innovation, economic and productive growth, as
explained by [38], and partially explained by data from the
National Competitiveness Report.
According to the US Department of Defence, new
technologies can be used when they reach a maturity level of
TRL 7 [42]. However, within the organization, there is no
financial guarantee to get this level of TRL in RDI projects
and with the final product quality demanded by the end client
to generate a return on the investment in projects (P6C1,
P6C2), which creates insecurity and uncertainty within the
organization and private sector.
Researchers believe technological absorption processes
don’t have norms and policies to articulate all internal actors
to ensure their implementation and application by the end user
(P7C2), affecting the first dimension of technological
absorption Also, the affective dimension is affected, because
the researchers have to assume responsibilities outside their
sphere of influence, such as support and operation of final
products, deviating them from their primary function [43]. In
addition, create workloads for the department that will have to
take care of technologies' logistical support.
Furthermore, support technologies developed by the
organization's RDI centers present a dichotomy between
secrecy and technology transfer towards industry and
academia. Secrecy, around the conditions of access to
privileged information and possible national security
violations. However, the best way to guarantee RDI product
support would be transferred to industry or to create a mixed
system based on first and second level support by industry and
third level support by RDI centres (P8C1, P8C3). Facilitating
the product maintenance required by the first dimension of
technology absorption [43].
Finally, it was recognized that technology transfer
processes had been carried out to generate value for industrial
network (P9C3), identifying approximately seven
technologies transferred and highlighting the existing process.
International Journal of Innovation, Management and Technology, Vol. 14, No. 4, November 2023
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International Journal of Innovation, Management and Technology, Vol. 14, No. 4, November 2023
136
However, it needs optimization to be more efficient. This
mechanism built by the organization can generate a
tremendous social and economic impact, promoting
collaboration and risk mitigation for business people in RDI
processes. Facilitating the transmission of "know-how" by
affective affinity [43], however, its main objective must be
operational support and logistics of defence technologies
(P9C1). The summary of the established categories were
illustrated in Fig. 3.
Fig. 3. Most important categories.
VI. CONCLUSION
Answering the research question: How should research,
development and innovation processes be strengthened to
generate high-value-added defence aerospace projects? We
can conclude from the collected results as follows:
The organizational infrastructure necessary for
developing STeI projects (science, technology and
innovation) must be developed. To achieve the
organization's goal of being innovative and projecting its
regional leadership, investment in RDI is required.
Therefore, the necessary organizational infrastructure
must be developed to conduct STeI projects, with
industrial and academic support to create capabilities to
strengthen national productivity through the aerospace
and defence sectors.
The institution must strengthen the creative pragmatic
thinking, oriented to obtain results reflected in products
and services contributing towards achieving the
organization's mission and vision, being the main
attractors for the filtering and selection of fundable RDI
projects [27, 26].
The new validation stages, evaluation and feasibility
identified by the researchers should be incorporated into
the Research Model to increase the possibilities of success
and mitigate project risks.
To generate high-value-added technologies, a regulatory
and management reorganization is required to optimize
resources and process, to create a favourable ecosystem to
stimulate creativity and develop innovative products.
Financial efforts with public and private resources must be
articulated, to achieve a long term vision for RDI projects,
creating the legal mechanisms to provide guarantees that
generate a return on investment.
Efforts must be made to adjust the project formulation and
financing processes to ensure technologies reach a TRL 7.
Accept and assume the responsible risk in RDI projects
until the necessary level of maturity is reached, to be
absorbed by the organization or transferred to the industry.
Reducing the possibility of not implementing the projects,
allowing defence spending to become an investment that
generates a return through import substitution, public
spending savings, generation of strategic advantages, high
value-added knowledge and technologies, stimulating a
profitable national industry and solving strategic
aerospace defence needs. Looking for disruptive military
benefits at the same time and fulfil the dimensions of
technological absorption.
To consolidate the organization as an innovative
organization, it is necessary to create a sustained virtuous
circle to transfer efficiently knowledge and technologies
toward industry and academia.
Finally, defence spending on RDI can have a positive effect
on the rate of economic growth, however, it is not a definitive
solution to sustainable growth or improvement of
macro-social conditions to reduce violence. It may also be
positive effects on the rest of the economy in activities such as
foreign direct investment, regulatory stability or employment
etc. which should be investigated.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Guillermo Giraldo conducted the research; analyzed the
data; wrote the paper. Jimmy Anderson conducted the
research; wrote the paper. Luis Valencia Theoretical
contribution and review. Jhon Escobar Theoretical
contribution and review. All authors had approved the final
version.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Supported by Colombian Air Force, Autonomous
Queretaro University, Corporation University Remington into
the project‖ Integration of the Triple Helix into an innovation
ecosystem for Defence Aerospace RDI projects‖.
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