R&D Today
R&D Today – sharing ideas, good practice and innovation in R&D management.
R&D Today aims to share knowledge, new approaches and well proven techniques, it is the outreach site for the Research and Development Management Association (RADMA), a charitable organisation that supports research, best practice and education.
The intention is to signpost resources, papers and tools that would be of value to someone working in R&D and innovation management. All content is credited and referenced back to the source in line with the fair use doctrine.
We have found the Pentathlon provides a useful framework for discussion – click through the slides below to explore further.
If you are working in this field do get in contact.
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Our Themes
There is no shortage of challenges facing R&D managers, but sources of practical help can be in short supply. To assist we have selected a number of themes that are of wide interest:
– technology strategy
– ideation and creativity
– managing the pipeline
– open innovation
– roadmapping
– managing international R&D
For each we have invited two guest editors, a practitioner and an academic, to curate a useful resource for each.
View more about our themes here.
The Pentathlon Framework
Without risk you cannot have game-changing innovation
The key to successful innovation is to fail fast at the front-end, where the impact on the business can be managed.
The Pentathlon Framework can be used to describe a structured process that removes the risk of failure as ideas progress through the ‘Innovation Funnel’.
Read more about the Pentathlon Framework here.
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Tools
40 years of RADMA
R&D Management Conference 2020
Preparations for the 2020 R&D Management Conference Innovation across Boundaries: Historical Reflections and Future Vision (27 June -1 July, Glasgow) have already begun – more information.
Latest
The Right Way to Lead Design Thinking – a review
Design thinking is challenging because it involves something more fundamental than managing change: It involves discovering what change is needed. Rick Mitchell has found this paper in Harvard Business Review of interest.
Read moreR&D Management Conference: Innovation across Boundaries call for proposals
Look beyond the walls. The call for proposals has opened for the 2020 R&D Management conference: Innovation Across Boundaries: Historical Reflection and Future Vision closing date 28th October 2019
Read more50 Most Influential Projects of the last 50 years announced
In a first-of-its-kind ranking, the PMI showcases the transformative power of projects and how project management has helped turn these ideas into reality.
Read moreImproving objectiveness of idea selection
With the increase in use of online ideation platforms to harness creativity, it is important that ideas are fairly judged, without bias, and that the truly best ones bubble up to the top, comments Phil Kennedy.
Read moreHow successful use of Absorptive Capacity adds value
The most effect bringers of new external ideas into an organisation, comments Phil Kennedy are individuals that are not only tech-savvy but business-savvy. He reviews a paper on absorptive capacity and offers learning points for new product development.
Read moreSee more news >>
R&D Today sharing ideas, good practice and innovation in R&D management.
There is no shortage of challenges facing R&D managers, but sources of practical help can be in short supply. To assist we have selected a number of themes that are of wide interest:
– technology strategy
– ideation and creativity
– managing the pipeline
– open innovation
– roadmapping
– managing international R&D
For each we have invited two guest editors, a practitioner and an academic, to curate a useful resource for each.
View more about our themes here.
The Pentathlon Framework

Without risk you cannot have game-changing innovation
The key to successful innovation is to fail fast at the front-end, where the impact on the business can be managed.
The Pentathlon Framework can be used to describe a structured process that removes the risk of failure as ideas progress through the ‘Innovation Funnel’.
Read more about the Pentathlon Framework here.
Latest news
R&D Management Conference: Innovation across Boundaries call for proposals
Look beyond the walls. The call for proposals has opened for the 2020 R&D Management conference: Innovation Across Boundaries: Historical Reflection and Future Vision closing date 28th October 2019
Read more50 Most Influential Projects of the last 50 years announced
In a first-of-its-kind ranking, the PMI showcases the transformative power of projects and how project management has helped turn these ideas into reality.
Read moreImproving objectiveness of idea selection
With the increase in use of online ideation platforms to harness creativity, it is important that ideas are fairly judged, without bias, and that the truly best ones bubble up to the top, comments Phil Kennedy.
Read moreHow successful use of Absorptive Capacity adds value
The most effect bringers of new external ideas into an organisation, comments Phil Kennedy are individuals that are not only tech-savvy but business-savvy. He reviews a paper on absorptive capacity and offers learning points for new product development.
Read moreManaging the Front End of Innovation – could Goal Orientation hold the key?
The leadership style of the innovation team leader - learning goal or performance goal - sets the team's ambition for front-end innovation, Peter Robbins found; "for genuinely novel, original ideas a learning motivation is needed."
Read more