Association of German Engineers

About: Association of German Engineers is a other organization based out in Düsseldorf, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: New product development & Innovation management. The organization has 12 authors who have published 12 publications receiving 1660 citations.

The emerging nanomedicine landscape

Abstract: A global survey of companies pursuing 'nanomedicine' indicates that nanotechnology is taking root in the drug and medical device industry.

Why don't young people want to become engineers? Rational reasons for disappointing decisions

Abstract: The quest for engineers during the past boom and predictions of future shortages have focused attention on the low enrolment figures in science and technology (S&T) subjects. Normally, it is assumed that young people shy away from ‘tough majors’ or make irrational choices, based on an absence of information. While not denying the fundamental necessity that a higher proportion of the population should have a background in S&T, this paper pursues a different approach. Only by identifying potentially valid reasons for the lack of interest in S&T will it be possible to change not just some ‘misguided’ perceptions among the younger generation, but to categorise the facts and make targeted recommendations for necessary changes. Therefore, this article will discuss the importance of image and status, the influence of society and peer groups, as well as financial rewards and career aspects. It will be shown that the universally observable trend away from S&T is not due to a dislike of technology on the part of th...

Reducing project related uncertainty in the "fuzzy front end" of innovation: a comparison of German and Japanese product innovation projects

Abstract: In this paper, we report on the results of an exploratory study including 28 innovation projects carried out by 14 German and 13 Japanese companies to reduce project uncertainty. In all cases, we observed a range of activities to reduce project specific uncertainties and revealed differences in the practice of innovation management in both the German and Japanese companies. The focus of our research was the so-called "fuzzy front end", activities and typical deliverables in the innovation process, which might be affected by front end management practice. Overall, in the case of the German as well as the Japanese projects, the uncertainties affected by the market or technology could successfully be reduced during the "fuzzy front end" and the majority of projects achieved their objectives and efficiency targets. Nevertheless, our study revealed differences in the way such uncertainties were reduced by the companies in Japan and Germany.

“Fuzzy Front End” Practices in Innovating Japanese Companies

Abstract: In this paper, we report on the results of a large-scale study about typical front-end-related innovation practices in 553 Japanese mechanical and electrical engineering companies. We explore typical activities concerning the generation and assessment of new product ideas, the reduction of technological as well as market uncertainty and front end planning. Finally, we report on the differences between successful and unsuccessful companies. Our study confirms earlier findings about the frequent use of creativity techniques in Japan during the process of idea generation. We also find companies to be intensively involved in upper management and customers on NPD projects. While integrating upper management is of vital importance for assessing new product ideas, integrating customers and users is primarily used to developing product ideas and concepts. We further find evidence that successful companies integrate their customers more frequently in the process of developing and assessing new product ideas than non-successful companies. In addition, the former integrate customer requirements into their product definitions more often and also translate these requirements into technical specifications more frequently than non-successful companies. Finally, successful companies more often systematically plan a project prior to its start than unsuccessful ones.