Going to Extremes: Meeting the Emerging Demand for Durable Polymer Matrix Composites (2005)

The following is included as a guide to future roadmapping activities, as recommended in Chapter 4.

• Define the scope of the roadmap.

  • Define the charter, mission, system boundary, scope, and team participants.

  • Identify priority focus areas.

• Recruit leaders and experts.

  • Identify all stakeholder groups.

• Hold inclusive sessions.

  • Provide overviews of focus areas.

  • Hold panel discussions.

    • Describe facts, issues, challenges, and opportunities.

    • Differentiate between facts and assumptions.

  • Conduct open brainstorming session.

    • Welcome all input.

    • Forecast any and all candidate technologies, projects, goals, barriers, ideas.

    • Identify overarching groups of ideas and transfer them to breakout sessions.

• Hold breakout sessions.

  • Refine and add to list of potential roadmap elements.

    • Identify long-term goals, midterm targets, and near-term achievables.

    • Identify gaps and showstoppers in the existing technology.

  • Time-phase near-term (0-2 years), mid-term (2-7 years), and long-term (>7 years) activities.

    • Include sample elements:

      • When a product characteristic will be achieved,

      • When a technology goal will be reached,

      • When a basic research project will begin and end,

      • When an applied research project will begin and end,

      • When a processing/manufacturing technology will be needed,

      • When a technology demonstration is warranted,

• When clinical trials will being and end, and

• Others.

• Network roadmap elements.

  • Identify critical paths, higher-level goals, and decision points.

  • Identify fundamental research with the greatest potential for multiple impacts.

  • Point out critical capabilities as focal points for R&D priority.

  • Highlight specific opportunities for partners and projects, programs, and partnerships.

  • Find highest risks and highest payoffs.

  • Identify relevant barriers as they affect these goals and paths forward.

• Critique and validate.

  • Refine product and technology definitions.

  • Gather data to back up any uncertainties or assumptions made in roadmapping process.

  • Develop consensus on needs and actions.

• Develop implementation plan.

  • Focus resources on roadmap elements with the most promise.

  • Leverage resources to accomplish the roadmap goals.

    • Coordinate with other organizations.

    • Identify common elements and synchronize timelines.

• Communicate goals and planning.

  • Utilize professional societies, parallel organizations.

  • Review and update as needed.