Mapping the “Valley of Death”: Managing Selection and Technology Advancement in NASA's Small Business Innovation Research Program
Mapping the “Valley of Death”: Managing Selection and Technology Advancement in NASA's Small Business Innovation Research Program
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DOI：
10.1109/tem.2019.2904441
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发表时间：
2021-10
影响因子：
5.8
通讯作者：
A. Belz;R. Terrile;F. Zapatero;Michael Kawas;Aleksandar Giga
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
A. Belz;R. Terrile;F. Zapatero;Michael Kawas;Aleksandar Giga
在本文中，我们确定的风险缓解过程中固有的管理投资组合的技术不同，在他们的准备灌注和执行组织的性质，专注于所谓的“死亡之谷”中，该技术的原则已被证明，但原型尚未开发。利用美国国家航空航天局小企业创新研究计划资助的项目的技术准备水平（TRL），一个两阶段的竞争过程，我们发现，第一轮的选择结果是一个倾向于大公司。在第二轮融资中，技术成熟度是选择的一个更强的决定因素，公司员工人数不再是统计上重要的驱动因素。这种组合使该计划能够管理风险，并提供真实的技术进步，即使是最小的公司。我们发现，技术通常从TRL 2，概念制定，在程序的开始，大约TRL 5，组件验证，在程序的结论，这些结果之前的补贴的经济效益。这些发现阐明了一种解决风险的机制，并展示了一个有管理的早期技术项目的技术成果。
In this paper, we determine the risk mitigation process inherent in managing a portfolio of technologies diverse in both their readiness for infusion and the nature of the performing organization, focusing on the so-called “valley of death” in which the technology's principles have been proven but prototypes have yet to be developed. Using the Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) of projects funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Small Business Innovation Research program, a two-stage competitive process, we find that the result of selection of the first round is a tendency toward larger companies. In the second round of funding, technology maturity is a stronger determinant of selection and company headcount is no longer a statistically significant driver. This combination allows the program to manage risk and deliver real technical advancement from even the smallest companies. We find that technologies typically advance from TRL 2, concept formulation, at the program's outset to roughly TRL 5, component validation, at the program's conclusion; these outcomes precede economic benefits from the subsidy. These findings illuminate a mechanism to address risk as well as demonstrating the technical outcomes of a managed early-stage technology program.