BSE Technology Management and Innovation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary distinction between 'invention' and 'innovation' in technology management?
- Invention always requires a patent; innovation does not
- Invention is the creation of a new idea; innovation is the successful implementation of that idea to create value (Correct answer)
- Innovation only occurs in manufacturing; invention occurs in research labs
- Invention is incremental; innovation is always radical
Correct answer: Invention is the creation of a new idea; innovation is the successful implementation of that idea to create value
Invention refers to the creation of a new concept or device, while innovation involves successfully bringing that invention to market or applying it to create value.
Question 2: What does the 'Technology Readiness Level' (TRL) scale measure?
- The number of engineers trained to use a specific technology
- The maturity level of a technology from basic research to full deployment (Correct answer)
- The market readiness of a product for commercial launch
- The speed at which a technology can be deployed in the field
Correct answer: The maturity level of a technology from basic research to full deployment
TRL is a nine-level scale (1=basic principles observed, 9=system proven in operational environment) used to assess how mature a technology is for deployment.
Question 3: Which technology adoption curve segment consists of visionary early buyers who are willing to accept risk and high prices for new technology?
- Innovators
- Early Adopters (Correct answer)
- Early Majority
- Laggards
Correct answer: Early Adopters
Early adopters are opinion leaders who embrace new technology early, accepting imperfections in exchange for gaining competitive advantage, and their endorsement is critical for mainstream adoption.
Question 4: What is 'disruptive innovation' as defined by Clayton Christensen?
- A radical breakthrough that immediately replaces existing technology in all markets
- An innovation that initially targets overlooked market segments and eventually displaces established competitors (Correct answer)
- Any technological change that disrupts production schedules
- An innovation that improves existing product performance for premium customers
Correct answer: An innovation that initially targets overlooked market segments and eventually displaces established competitors
Disruptive innovation starts in low-end or new market segments, improves over time, and eventually displaces established products — often catching incumbents off guard.
Question 5: What is the purpose of a technology roadmap in engineering management?
- To document the physical location of technology assets in a facility
- To align technology development plans with business strategy and communicate the path forward (Correct answer)
- To track the career progression of technology staff members
- To list all software licenses owned by the organization
Correct answer: To align technology development plans with business strategy and communicate the path forward
A technology roadmap visualizes the planned evolution of products and technologies over time, aligning R&D investments with business strategy and communicating plans to stakeholders.
Question 6: Which intellectual property protection covers new, useful, and non-obvious inventions and grants the inventor exclusive rights for 20 years?
- Copyright
- Trademark
- Patent (Correct answer)
- Trade Secret
Correct answer: Patent
A utility patent grants the inventor the exclusive right to make, use, and sell an invention for 20 years from the filing date, in exchange for public disclosure of the invention.
BSE Technology Management and Innovation 1
What is the primary distinction between 'invention' and 'innovation' in technology management?