1. Introduction:
Development of perfectly competitive markets in the world has left a deep impact on the economies of the developing nations. The urgency which is attached to the provision of excellent and high quality products and services by mammoth and medium size manufacturing and service corporations in these countries, has more than doubled the need for the immediate setting up of R&D departments.
The term "Research" generally implies conducting basic and empirical research work that will ultimately lead to the generation of knowledge while the term "Development" deals with knowledge applicability and productivity.
When used as a single term, Research and Development, regardless of its commonly used meaning, also refers to a series of operations and measures that are supported by certain units of factories, universities and official agencies. The budget that is earmarked for research and development in various countries, displays where the industry stands, illustrates the degree of industrial competition and the rate of progress in any given nation. Therefore, through launching R&D units, companies pursue to cut costs, produce more efficient quality products and thus increase the value of their stocks.
According to this definition, successful companies are those that utilize knowledge and technology and produce innovative and high quality products to meet the immediate needs and requirements of their customers. Whereas, economists view R&D as a vital source of innovation and a powerful drive for economic growth, evidently, R&D can play a crucial role in the quality of lives of the members of the society.
There reside countless state-sponsored policies and plans that directly influence R&D. Majority of R&D departments are initiated and launched by the government sector. Even in the private sector, the government acts as a facilitator and supporter of R&D units and departments. In majority of countries, universities set the bedrock for the conducting of research work. In both private and government arenas, universities undertake to carry out the critical task of conducting research. The society benefits from academic research work in two ways; through students whose research and learning skills increase and are later employed as efficient and specialized work force and through production of new knowledge that originates in research.
2. Urgency attached to the Launching of R&D Departments:
MAPNA Group's Research and Development department was established in 2007 pursuant to restructuring of the Company and extension of the scope of its performances to other areas of the industry such as oil and gas and rail transportation. The influential role of R&D in optimizing performance and improving services rendered in prospect projects illustrates its strategically vital status.
3. Perspective (vision):
MAPNA Group pursues to promote its knowledge to the extent that in the mid-term it will be able to respond to the customers' request for the modification and improvement of products.
4. Objectives:
4-1- Promotion of the level of knowledge and technology within the MAPNA Group.
4-2- Ability to introduce change to products.
4-3- Ability to diversify products and services.
4-4- Ability to develop new products and services.
5. Mission:
This unit has been assigned the task of providing the appropriate bedrock necessary for the elaboration, planning, coordination, monitoring and execution of research work and finding scientific solutions to the Group's problems in a variety of grounds. The Unit is in charge of making policies and take measures required for the development and promotion of technology and reinforcing the knowledge base across the Group. Through setting up of an appropriate nucleus and employing skilled men and women who specialize in this field of work, acquiring world-class know-how for the construction of power plants, cooperation with local and overseas research and university centers and the knowledge already available in all units, R&D unit stresses the resolve to assist with further dynamizing the entire Holding by means of the Knowledge Management approach.
According to the scope of operations that has been stipulated in its mission statement, the R&D unit has specified its missions in three categories in the following order:
1. Axis 1.
1.1. Assist with gaining access to emerging markets.
1.2. Developing engineering capabilities for the purpose of responding to diversified custom-built requirements of customers.
1.3. Promoting technological aptitudes aimed at cutting cost price and construction period of power plant, rail transportation, oil and gas projects.
1.4. Meeting the residing requirements in order to develop the kind of technology which is needed for the design and manufacture of main power plant equipment and components, rail transportation, oil and gas industries.
1.5. Developing the engineering knowledge and upgrading quality of the implementation of power plant, rail transportation, oil and gas projects as well as transfer of state-of-the-art world class know-how.
2. Axis 2.
2.1. Preserving the Existing Market.
2.2. Further localization of know-how for design and construction of power plant projects, rail transportation as well as oil and gas industries.
2.3. Meeting the technological requirements and removing impediments residing in the way of local manufacturers of equipment used in power plants, rail transportation, oil and gas industries.
2.4. Design and launch of necessary processes and setting up of research ring networks within the Group for the purpose of exploiting feedbacks provided by customers.
3. Axis 3:
3.1. Constant Improvement and Promotion of the Culture of Research and Development
3.2. Exploring and discovering methods appropriate for the promotion and development of the Group's capacities and potentials in the area of management, improvement of procedures and organizational evolution.
3.3. Design, establishment, promotion and propagation of research and development as a value within the Group.
3.4. Launch of knowledge management system within the Group and promotion of knowledge management system.
6. Organizational Structure:
The Research and Development Department chose to establish and run the hybrid structure in MAPNA Group in 2007. In this manner, R&D departments are available everywhere within the MAPNA Group that produce and provide the kind of knowledge which is necessary for MAPNA to guarantee materialization of its knowledge-based perspective and vision. The following constitute some of the factors underlying adoption of such an approach within MAPNA:
· MAPNA Group has foreseen a macro plan for the production of knowledge.
· This macro plan has been interlinked with the Group's strategy and its progress is measurable.
· The Group covers R&D budget requirements on a concentrated fashion.
· There reside certain R&D units within the Group that follow key plans for the production of knowledge.
· The share of every single R&D activity in the production of knowledge is measureable.
7. Subsidiary Units:
Relying on the hybrid structure approach, the R&D department comprises two medium scale subsidiaries. In terms of their organizational job description, these subsidiaries include:
7.1 Research Unit:
Organizational Job Description:
Defining of research projects taking into consideration the Group's needs and requirements, selection and nomination of research advisors and consultants from amongst reputable academic and industrial research centers, technical monitoring of implementation of research projects and maintaining control over project achievements for the purpose of comparing them with pre-defined goals and objectives.
7.2 Project Coordination and Services Unit:
Organizational job description:
Monitoring the already defined small and large scale research projects, preparing and handling of small and large scale research contracts, implementing knowledge management project, defining and preserving the rights of defined intellectual properties of MAPNA Group.