Effective R&D investment strategy using real options

실물 옵션 이론을 활용한 효과적인 R&D 투자 전략

R&D is the core competence of an enterprise. Furthermore, R&D requires huge capital investment and has very risky characteristics. Therefore, to be successful in R&D process, several approaches of engineering economics are used prior to decision-making. Until now, typical approaches of engineering economics such as NPV(net present value) or DCF(Discounted cash flow) have been used. But, they cannot properly capture managerial flexibility to adapt and revise later decisions in response to unexpected market development. In a constantly changing and always uncertain marketplace, managerial operation flexibility and strategic adaptability have become vital in order to successfully capitalize on favorable future investment opportunities and limit losses from adverse market development. For the alternatives of conventional static decision-making approaches, new concept of using real options is introduced. Real option theory is based on financial option's characteristics and checks every revision interval whether situation have changed favorable to decision maker or not. In advantageous situation, the decision maker has only to go on. In contrast, with unfavorable situation, he abandons the investment immediately. In this aspect, real option model is more suitable in very uncertain and dynamic business environment in that it can provide the opportunity to cope with flexibility. This paper suggests efficient and effective R&D investment strategy by using real options model. In addition, this paper compares financial options and real options.