Technology Roadmapping for mission-led agile hardware development: a case study of a commercial fusion energy start-up

Pearson, R.J.; Costley, A.E.; Phaal, R. and Nuttall, W.J. (2020). Technology Roadmapping for mission-led agile hardware development: a case study of a commercial fusion energy start-up. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 158, article no. 120064.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120064

Abstract

Despite several decades of dedicated R&D, fusion, a potentially world-changing energy source, remains decades away from commercialisation. The majority of development thus far has been via publicly-funded programmes led by government laboratories focused on scientific research and in which commercialisation strategy and innovation play a minor role. Generally, such programmes follow a linear model of innovation in which commercial aspects are not considered until later in development. In consequence and without intention, devices not well-suited for commercial application are being pursued. In recent years, however, privately funded fusion start-ups have emerged with the goal of accelerating the commercialisation of fusion. Fusion start-ups are, by necessity, operating on a fundamentally different model of innovation: agile innovation, whereby technology is developed flexibly and iteratively towards an explicit commercial goal. Technology Roadmapping is a method that has been effective for supporting agile innovation but thus far has had limited application to mission-led hardware development. We characterise the key features of the fusion innovation approach and create a novel Technology Roadmapping process for fusion start-ups, which is developed via a case study with Tokamak Energy Ltd. The main elements of the developed process, the resulting Technology Roadmap, and its impact are presented.

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About

• Item ORO ID
• 70834
• Item Type
• Journal Item
• ISSN
• 0040-1625
• Project Funding Details

• Funded Project Name	Project ID	Funding Body
  EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Nuclear Energy: Building UK Civil Nuclear Skills for Global Markets	EP/L015900/1	Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
  Sponsored doctoral research by Tokamak Energy Ltd	-	Tokamak Energy Ltd

• Keywords
• Fusion energy; High-tech start-ups; Technological disruption; Fusion reactor; Clean energy innovation; Commercialisation
• Academic Unit or School
• Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) > Mathematics and Statistics
  Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
  Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) > Engineering and Innovation
• Copyright Holders
• © 2020 The Authors
• Depositing User
• Richard Pearson