Investigating Determinants of Technology Transfer in Thailand: A Comprehensive Methodological Framework Considering the Viewpoints of Adopters and Developers

Chothip Wisespongpand; Pornthipa Ongkunaruk; Thaweephan Leingpibul

doi:10.4067/S0718-27242023000300060

Authors

Chothip Wisespongpand Institute for small and Medium Enterprises Development (ISMED), Pathum Thani, Thailand
Pornthipa Ongkunaruk Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering at Kasetsart University, Thailand
Thaweephan Leingpibul Food & CPG Marketing and Integrated Supply Management Program, Haworth College of Business, Western Michigan University, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-27242023000300060

Abstract

This study presents a systematic process to evaluate pivotal factors influencing technology transfer within the Thailand context, incorporating the perceptions of both technology adopters and developers. Utilizing a rigorous triangulation of methods, including preliminary assessments, extensive interviews, and a systematically structured questionnaire, the Evaluation Matrix of Technology Transfer (EMTT) was formulated. The EMTT encompasses six fundamental components: 1) Knowledge/Know-how, 2) Artifacts, 3) User Insight, 4) Marketing, 5) Intellectual Property, and 6) Technology Transfer Management. Notably, among these, Artifacts emerged as paramount. Divergences in perspectives between adopters and developers became evident. While adopters underscored the alignment of research outputs with user requirements, developers accentuated the importance of adept management in technology transfer. In addition, a discernable discrepancy was observed in six evaluative aspects; adopters placed a premium on the R&D prowess of researchers, whereas developers highlighted the value of research collaboration with the industrial sector. Collectively, this robust assessment paradigm offers pertinent insights, underscoring the imperatives for judicious decision-making and fostering efficacious technology transfer processes within Thailand.

Keywords:

Technology Evaluation
Technology Transfer
Technology Readiness Level
Commercialization

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Author Biographies

Chothip Wisespongpand, Institute for small and Medium Enterprises Development (ISMED), Pathum Thani, Thailand

Ms. Chothip Wisespongpand was born on May 14, 1964, in Bangkok, Thailand. She completed her B.Sc. in Food Technology from Chulalongkorn University in 1986. Later, in 2008, she obtained her M.S. in Agro-Industry Technology Management from Kasetsart University. Recently, in 2021, she accomplished her Ph.D. in Agro-Industry Technology Management, also from Kasetsart University. Currently, Ms. Wisespongpand holds the position of Vice President, Business Performance Development, at the Institute for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (ISMED). Her dedication to academia and professional expertise in the field of Agro-Industry Technology Management has propelled her to this distinguished role in her career.

Pornthipa Ongkunaruk, Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering at Kasetsart University, Thailand

Pornthipa Ongkunaruk earned her B.S. in Agro-Industrial Product Development from Kasetsart University in 1997 and followed it with an M.S. in Industrial Engineering from the Asian Institute of Technology in 1999. In 2005, she completed her Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. From 2005-2022, Dr. Ongkunaruk served as a lecturer in the Faculty of Agro-Industry at Kasetsart University, and she currently holds the position of associate professor in the Faculty of Engineering at Kasetsart University. Her expertise lies in Supply Chain and Logistics Management, Operations Research, and Simulation in Agro-Industry. Throughout her career, she has been extensively involved in over 40 projects centered around logistics and supply chain management, efficiency improvement, new product development, foresight, and evaluation, collaborating with various governments and international organizations. Dr. Ongkunaruk is a prolific author, with four books, 31 research articles, and 49 proceedings to her credit. Her academic excellence has earned her several accolades, including the Royal Thai Government scholarship for her M.S. and Ph.D. studies, receiving first-class honors in 1997, and being honored with the prestigious James A. Linen III Memorial Prize as the most outstanding student in 1999.

Thaweephan Leingpibul, Food & CPG Marketing and Integrated Supply Management Program, Haworth College of Business, Western Michigan University, USA

Thaweephan (Duke) Leigpibul was born in Bangkok, Thailand in 1971. He received the B.S. in Food Science & Technology from Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand in 1993. After working in a food manufacturing industry for a few years, he went back to school and completed his MBA in Computer Information System, Marketing, and Logistics from Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri in 2000 and the Ph.D. degree in Marketing and Logistics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, in 2005. From 2000 to 2005, he was a Teaching/ Research Assistant at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in the Marketing & Logistics Department. Since 2005, he started his academic career as an Assistant Professor with the Marketing Department, Western Michigan University, Michigan, USA. He has been involved in both Food & CPG Marketing program and Integrated Supply Management Program. He is the author of more than 20 articles and presented at several conferences. His research interests include Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Food Physical Distribution, Food, and CPG Supply Chain, and International Business.