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R&D management expertise for R&D portfolio management, technology roadmapping, research methodology, patent strategy, lab management, academic partnerships, and regulatory pathways. Use when managing research programs, planning technology roadmaps, or building patent portfolios.
npx skill4agent add travisjneuman/.claude rd-managementPORTFOLIO DIMENSIONS:
BY TYPE:
- Basic Research (10-20%)
- Applied Research (20-30%)
- Development (50-70%)
BY TIME HORIZON:
- Near-term (<2 years)
- Mid-term (2-5 years)
- Long-term (>5 years)
BY RISK:
- Core (incremental)
- Adjacent (new territory)
- Breakthrough (transformational)
PORTFOLIO BALANCE:
Mature companies: More development, less research
Growth companies: More research, balanced development
Disruption risk: More breakthrough investment| Metric | Formula | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| R&D Intensity | R&D Spend / Revenue | Industry specific |
| R&D Efficiency | New Product Revenue / R&D Spend | >2x |
| Patent Yield | Patents / R&D Spend | Varies |
| Time to Market | Concept to launch | Decreasing |
| Project Success | Successful / Total projects | 20-40% |
CENTRALIZED:
- Single R&D organization
- Economies of scale
- Technology leverage
- Long-term focus
Pros: Efficiency, coordination
Cons: Distant from business
DECENTRALIZED:
- Business unit R&D
- Close to market
- Faster response
- Application focus
Pros: Relevance, speed
Cons: Duplication, short-term
HYBRID:
- Central research labs
- BU development teams
- Shared services
- Technology transfer
Pros: Balance
Cons: Coordination complexityTECHNOLOGY ROADMAP LAYERS:
MARKET LAYER:
- Customer needs
- Market trends
- Competitive dynamics
- Regulatory changes
PRODUCT LAYER:
- Product generations
- Feature evolution
- Platform decisions
- Release timing
TECHNOLOGY LAYER:
- Core technologies
- Enabling technologies
- Emerging technologies
- Technology dependencies
RESOURCE LAYER:
- Capabilities needed
- Skill development
- Partnerships
- Infrastructure| Phase | Activities | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Planning | Scope, team, timeline | Charter |
| Analysis | Market, technology, gap | Insights |
| Synthesis | Prioritization, sequencing | Draft roadmap |
| Validation | Stakeholder review | Refined roadmap |
| Communication | Publication, training | Deployed roadmap |
| Maintenance | Updates, governance | Living document |
TECHNOLOGY READINESS LEVELS (TRL):
TRL 1: Basic principles observed
TRL 2: Technology concept formulated
TRL 3: Experimental proof of concept
TRL 4: Technology validated in lab
TRL 5: Technology validated in relevant environment
TRL 6: Technology demonstrated in relevant environment
TRL 7: System prototype demonstrated in operational environment
TRL 8: System complete and qualified
TRL 9: Actual system proven in operational environment
INVESTMENT BY TRL:
TRL 1-3: Research funding
TRL 4-6: Development funding
TRL 7-9: Engineering/Launch funding| Type | Goal | Duration | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | New knowledge | 3-10+ years | Very High |
| Applied | Specific applications | 2-5 years | High |
| Development | Productization | 1-3 years | Medium |
| Engineering | Commercialization | 6-18 months | Lower |
| Model | Investment | IP Rights | Engagement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsored Research | Funding | Negotiated | Project-based |
| Consortium | Shared | Pre-competitive | Multi-party |
| Licensing | Royalties | Licensed | Transaction |
| Joint Venture | Equity | Shared | Deep |
| Chair/Fellowship | Endowment | None | Talent access |
COLLABORATION FRAMEWORK:
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING:
- Faculty engagement
- Student recruiting
- Advisory boards
- Speaking engagements
PROJECT MANAGEMENT:
- Clear objectives
- Milestone tracking
- Regular communication
- IP agreements upfront
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER:
- Licensing evaluation
- Patent prosecution
- Startup spin-offs
- Joint development
SUCCESS METRICS:
- Publications
- Patents
- Technologies adopted
- Hires from program| Category | Metric | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Input | R&D spend | % of revenue |
| Process | Project milestones | On-time % |
| Output | Products launched | Per year |
| Efficiency | Cost per project | Improving |
| Quality | First-time success | >30% |
| Speed | Cycle time | Decreasing |
GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE:
PORTFOLIO REVIEW BOARD:
- Investment allocation
- Project prioritization
- Resource decisions
- Go/No-go decisions
PROJECT GOVERNANCE:
- Stage gate reviews
- Technical reviews
- Business case updates
- Risk management
TECHNICAL GOVERNANCE:
- Architecture decisions
- Technology standards
- Platform decisions
- Make/buy/partner
MEETING CADENCE:
| Forum | Frequency | Participants |
|-------|-----------|--------------|
| Portfolio Review | Quarterly | Executives |
| Project Review | Monthly | Project sponsors |
| Technical Review | As needed | Technical leaders |
| Team Standups | Weekly/Daily | Project teams |DUAL LADDER SYSTEM:
TECHNICAL TRACK:
- Associate Engineer
- Engineer
- Senior Engineer
- Principal Engineer
- Fellow
- Distinguished Fellow
MANAGEMENT TRACK:
- Team Lead
- Manager
- Director
- VP Engineering
- SVP/CTO
EQUIVALENCIES:
Principal Engineer ≈ Director
Fellow ≈ VP
Distinguished Fellow ≈ SVP
CAREER DEVELOPMENT:
- Technical certifications
- Publication requirements
- Patent expectations
- Leadership developmentCOMMUNITY BUILDING:
KNOWLEDGE SHARING:
- Technical forums
- Lunch & learns
- Internal conferences
- Best practice sharing
DEVELOPMENT:
- Training programs
- Mentoring
- Rotation programs
- External conferences
RECOGNITION:
- Technical awards
- Patent recognition
- Publication support
- Innovation prizes