The entrepreneurial pursuit of technology program

The authors describe a program for pursuit of R&D business that encourages individual engineers and scientists to establish networks of customer contacts in their technical areas, to identify opportunities through these contacts, and to pursue those that align with the division´s strategic technology plan. The program includes three key elements: an infrastructure to support the individual in establishing the network, developing a strategy for pursuit, interacting with the potential customer, identifying the opportunity, and writing the proposal; performance objectives and a reward system to motivate individual participation; and metrics to measure the desired results of the program