role of research masao kato chairman fx palo alto lab inc
TRANSCRIPT
Role of Research
Masao Kato
Chairman
FX PALO ALTO LAB INC
Fuji Xerox
Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific
FX Palo Alto Xerox PARC
Xerox Corporation
Role of Research in Industry• Invention : Golden age of research
Nylon, Penicillin, Rader, Transistor• Industrial Innovation : Dinosaur project
Computer, Operating system, High density memory device
• Paradigm ShiftBell break up, Trade deficit, Down sizing
Companies without research lab thrive
• Bubble: born, grow and goneA look at future
Future of Industrial ResearchPanel Discussion
Harvard Business SchoolJanuary 1993
• Industrial R&D in the United States
David A. Hounshell CMU
• Notes on the Future of Industrial Research
Richard S. Rosenbloom HBS
Participants
• Gordon (Intel)• Lucky (AT&T)• Meyers (Xerox)• Spencer (Sematech)• Branscomb (HBS)• Kato (FujiXerox)• Watanabe (Sony)• - - -
Eighties to Nineties• Companies without research lab thrive
• Industrial research as national asset
• US competitiveness and consortia
• Multiplicity of research avenues
internal and external: university, joint ventures and consortia etc
• Globalization and diversification of research outposts
Question
• Is industrial research a financial burden or
nutrient essential to competitive vigor?• How must industrial research be adapted to the
competitive realities of the 1990s?• What must CEO and senior management do to the
adaptation? • What need to be considered in regard to the US
competitiveness
What happened in nineties
• Internet fueled
• Less concern for US competitiveness
• Vigorous venture and startup involvement
• Invention to Innovation immediate path
• Staged transfer from research to development, development to commercialization does not apply
Where we go from here
Reinventing Corporation
Xerox Parc Challenges
Parc Spinoff Examples
• 3Com Ethernet Metcalfe• VLSI IC design tools Balletto• Adobe Page description Warnock• Synoptics Network Ludwick• SDLI Laser diode Scifres• Liveworks Groupware Bruce• Uppercase e-book Halaz• etc
Shifting main business
Established technology
vs
disrupting technology
Behavior of large corporation
• Many talented person in main business
• Many steps to go up the ladder for approval
• Many groups to go around for agreement
• Many able persons for procedural debate
• Delegates study and decision
Small Start Ups
• Lack of experience of organizational work
• Coordination of groups in expansion
• Deal with large established companies
• Large corporation become supplier of talent with organizational experience for startups
Established Main Business
Disruptive Technology
Main Business and New Business
New Business
Company Lords and company Outlaws
Main Business• supported by talented
company lords• years of distilled
knowledge of the company
• precise rules, procedures
• control of resources
New Business• supported by few
company outlaws• disruptive force• breaking rules,
procedures and assigned resources
FOR RESEARCH INFLUENTIAL AT HEADQUARTER DECISIONS
• Not just scientist but well qualified and trusted for strategic and political decisions at corporate level management
• Needs to be respected for his/her scientific accomplishment. Mandatory for researchers support
• Systematic motivation, screening and training
WHEN “IT” GOLD RUSH SATURATES
• BUSINESS SCENARIOS ENUMERATED
• ANOTHER LEAP NEEDED IN THE MATERIALS AND DEVICE SCIENCE
LOGIC AND DISPLAY
OPTICAL TRANSISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
BATTERY AND ENERGY
MERGING INDUSTRY SECTOR
• TELECOMMUNICATION
• COMPUTER
• BROADCASTING
• HOME ELECTRONICS
Shifting research attention
From technology for making boxes to technology for providing services
Technology for making boxes :Machine speed, performance and functions
Technology for providing services :Less sales skill, less sales costs and less customer
visit time
From selling boxes to offering services
• Technology for selling boxes;
• Design defined by Input and Output conditions.
• Stable design when algorithm is fixed.
• Text book culture
• Technology for offering services
• Design defined by business scenarios
• Design dependent on customer reactions
• Unstable and progressive
Information RepresentationAnalogue v.s. Digital
• Analogue:
Unique format and associated technology in each industry sector protected invasion from other sector.
• Digital:
Common format and technology across sectors of industry has lowered industry barrier.
INDUSTRY STRUCTURE IN THE 80’S
Telecomm
Computer
Semi-conductor
Home electronics
ATT
IBM
TI Intel
RCA
NEC
FUJITSU
TOSHIBA
HITACHI
Japanese Industrycompetitiveness and weakness
• Every one doing the same generated severe competition in 80s
• Worked nicely for increased competitiveness in quality and cost
• Invited weakness in unique concept and products to meet the environment in 90s
Japan to look ahead
• Cell phones becoming digital camera, video phone, GPS equipped locator and electronic ticket(60 M cell phones 20M internet mobile access)
• High speed ADSL and Optical fiber
40Mb/s ADSL at $25/month
100Mb/s Fiber access $40-$25 (400,000 subscribers increasing 50,000 /mo.)
• Internet connected generation Digital Television supported by NHK, MITI, SONY
“Research” and “Development”
Lessons learned in R&D management
THE HIGHEST POINT OF MOUNTAIN
THE LOWEST POINT OF VALLEY
It’s Not My Job Syndrome
FAILURE TEACHES A LOT,
SUCCESS LEARNS LITTLE
RESEARCH NEVER FAILS
JUST CHANGES ITS TITLE
Role of Research Lab
Experimenting future of corporation
physics
Electrical engineering
telecommunications
computers
Information technology