The interaction between design research and technological research in manufacturing firm

Design has significantly affected innovation and the discipline of design management focuses on meanings that it brings about a drastic change in life style of consumers. Although the relationship between design and technology is one of the important issues for the innovation of meanings, there were only a few studies which suggested the comprehensive model that includes design and technology. Verganti proposed the concept of design driven innovation, which regarded a design process of NPD as a research activity, and demonstrated a relationship between the technological research and the design research. In particular, he examined deeply the mechanism of the design research. In order to deepen his discussion, this chapter aims to suggest some propositions and a comprehensive model related to the interaction between the design research and the technological research. The authors utilize the concepts of exploration and exploitation for their framework. It shows that an augmenting of both researches may create effectively radical meanings or technologies and an integration of both researches may create radical meanings and technologies concurrently. In the case study of FPD industry, this chapter examines how some companies create competitive advantages by both researches and the commoditization of technology may cause the transition to the design research from the technological research as source of the competitive advantages. Additionally, the chapter suggests the strategic and organizational issues for conducting the design research and the technological research interactively in the discussion section.