Information Protocol

The second aim of the research was to develop an information protocol from an ontological perspective that can be used to enhance technology roadmapping, support data collection within and across organisational boundaries along with dissemination to identified stakeholders including SME’s and academia.

The opportunity to develop the information protocol whilst developing an actual sector level roadmap enabled ideas to be tested, and the process refined especially for the data collection elements which presented challenges for the collection of

associated data. The experience gained through the FV process was invaluable, development of the information protocol as a desk based activity would not have generated a roadmapping method that was robust and fit for purpose. Existing

technology roadmapping processes identified do not capture the level of detail that is required, they use experts to build roadmap, a more structured process, with a degree of flexibility built into the process, has been developed through this research.

Any protocol to develop roadmap at a sector level should be publicly available, not a process used for commercial gain. The take-up of the technology roadmapping process will not gain momentum and if activity is restricted by the ability to pay to gain access to the process. An especially vulnerable group of organisations are SME’s who could benefit from technology roadmapping but who do not in the main currently benefit.

6.11 Summary

The development of the information protocol was informed by the activity undertaken to generate the FV (v.3) technology roadmap including the pre-roadmapping activity, data collection phase to populate a technology roadmap, and representation activity.

The software used to generate the roadmap, did not meet the level of expectation. Evaluation of the roadmap by end users in the future needs to address, not only the published roadmap but also the roadmapping software as there is a danger that the lack of functionality of the software may affect the opinion users have of the roadmap.

In order to drive the technology roadmapping process, the organisation behind the process must be impartial, transparent and allocate sufficient resources. Support is required to utilise a robust data collection process, instil confidence by establishing a multi-disciplinary team in order to drive the technology roadmapping process to a successful conclusion.

Industry Workshop

• Although a large number of technology opportunities were generated, a rich picture could not be drawn from the data at this point;

• The method employed at this stage in the data collection process prohibited the population of the technology roadmap due to a lack of associated data;

• A higher than expected number of responses per participant was recorded. Using the NGT process an average of eight responses per participant can be expected, at this workshop the average number of responses was 14;

• It was difficult to identify technical issues from the responses generated, however the Fuel category attracted the highest number of responses, and,

• Non-technical issues were seen as fundamental enablers for technology development.

Questionnaire

• Used to add data to the output of workshop 1 and also test out process of collecting additional data;

• In all, 12 technology themes were generated from 20 responses;

• The highest number of responses related to engine technology, and,

• Data gathered from the questionnaires included collection of associated data for the first time.

DMAP Workshop

• Most important issues were innovation and holistic design, emissions and recycling;

• The workshop generated technology related themes;

• Lifecycle analysis confirmed as an important theme, supporting result from Workshop One;

• Energy related themes attracted the largest range of time required to achieve Mass Scale Production;

• Activity was recorded against both UK and non-UK technological developments, and,

• Safety featured as an important theme, seen as a legacy from v.2 of the FV technology roadmap.

FASMAT Workshop

• Most important issues were Low cost manufacture, joining, Lightweighting and safety;

• The workshop generated technology related themes;

• Lightweighting confirmed as an important theme, although comments received that technology introduced to address safety issues raised in v.2 had increased overall weight of vehicles;

• Low cost manufacture and noise were the two areas that attracted the widest time range required to achieve Mass Scale Production, and,

• Although activity was identified as taking place in the UK, this workshop identified activity that was taking place outside the UK.

Stakeholder Workshop

• Although the technology impact areas were expanded from 3 to 5 in this workshop, this had little effect on the overall results;

• Environmental and social impact areas attracted equal responses;

• Low cost manufacture is the most important in terms of technological opportunities and the time required to achieve Mass Scale Production;

• Lightweight materials received the highest number of votes and also recorded the highest TRL level (maturity), and,

• Academic activity was focused outside the UK. Barriers

• The majority of the barriers recorded in each workshop related to technology;

• Participants took the opportunity to record more than one barrier against individual technology opportunities, and,

• Barriers are important as stand alone issues as well as related to technology themes and opportunities.

This chapter has explored the data generated through workshops and questionnaires, in order to populate v.3 of the FV technology Roadmap. In essence, respondents were willing to share information where no conflict of interest arose and welcomed a platform to discuss issues pertinent to the development of low carbon vehicles. Few problems arose in attracting participants to the process. A wide range of views were collected but the data collection process allowed the common technology themes to be identified and used to create the high level structure of v.3 of the FV technology roadmap.