Key Success Factors for Collaborative Technology Development Projects: The Case of Small & Medium Firms in the Korean Electronics Parts Industry

공동기술개발 프로젝트의 성패요인: 우리나라 전자부품 중소기업 분석

This study empirically examined different patterns of collaborative R&D project with their key success factors(KSFs), using data from 82 projects in the Korean electronic parts industry. The patterns of R&D collaboration were categorized into 4 types by two criteria development motive(technology Push/market pull) and Project initiator (focal firm/partner). The bivariate relationships revealed that project characteristics (technological complexity, market uncertainty), management characteristics (participation in project formulation), problem solving characteristics(problem solving performance of the focal firm, users active role in problem solving, active role of university or research institute in problem solving) and success rates appear to be different among four types of collaboration. Each type of collaborative R&D projects also had different KSFs. The KSFs of type 1 (technology Push and focal firm initiation), for instance, include the strategic importance of the project, focal firms share of cost, active role of university or research institute in problem solving, while those of type 4(market pull and customer initiation) cover reliability of partner relationship, a time at partners involvement, information sharing. The findings suggest that the different contingencies brought different patterns and KSFs of collaborative R&D project, since different information, resources, and partners roles were needed to successfully implement the projects according to development motive and project initiator Finally, managerial, policy, and theoretical implications for the collaborative R&D activities in the Korean electronics parts industry were discussed, based on empirical results of this study.