An-Najah Staff

This paper highlights technology roadmapping issues for advanced industries, in particular with regard to disruptive technologies. It examines the currently available range of technology watch techniques and considers the potential offered by the emerging Semantic Web. This paper introduces the technology watch research work of the University of Nottingham's Responsive Manufacturing Group and describes a database-supported process that has been applied in the UK's aerospace industry. It also describes an ontology-based technology watch system that has been applied in prototype form at a major aerospace manufacturer. A method has been developed to evaluate the level of potential threat that an emerging technology represents and to attach a value to a technology watch project that alleviates that threat level. This paper concludes that an effective technology watch function can significantly mitigate the risks that high technology companies face.