The impact of an intermediate stage between the research stage and the development stage on the performance of integral architecture products

We found through a questionnaire survey of Japanese manufacturing companies, the 'Technology Development (TD) stage' as an intermediate stage (hereinafter called the 'TD stage') between the research and the product development stages. In the TD stage, project leaders try to tie an innovative technological result to a new product. We examined 33 projects during the TD stage in a company that produces industrial control equipments. By means of a chi-square test and in-depth interview survey, we found that both the involvement of a business division and the management skills of project leaders during the TD stage are key factors for success.