Critical Success Factors for Technology Transfer: Sharing a Perspective

Abstract

Abstract The paper describes three examples from the author's experience of technology transfer in the E&P industry and examines a number of critical elements, beyond those normally found in the literature, that need to be accounted for to bring about a successful and durable transfer of a technology. These include meticulous planning, determination of appropriateness, recipient buy-in, an early demonstration of benefits, at least a nascent technology base and awareness, continuous mentoring and monitoring, and finally evolution into a culture of technology utilization and management. Introduction Technology transfer can allow industries to significantly advance the state-of-the-art, organizations to enhance their capabilities, and societies to make socio-economic progress, by taking advantage of developments elsewhere. It is viewed as a key vehicle for developing countries, often short on technical and financial resources, to leap into a developed economy without having to invest heavily in technology development.[1] Technology transfer is not confined to only developing countries. One such example is the wide-spread use of Teflon (polytetraflouroethylene-PTFE) as a cookware coating. It was developed originally by a Dupont scientist in 1938 for obvious military applications. Another is the recent use of GPS technology in the civilian transportation sector. The petroleum exploration & production (E&P) industry has been engaged in technology transfer, both outward and inward, in various forms over several decades.[2] Inward transfer has involved joint industry projects (JIP's), consortiums, partnerships with universities, and in-house effort to adapt technologies. Recent forms of outward transfer efforts, especially to developing countries include,bringing in trainees for short-term one-on-one training or having them work on project teams for longer duration,sending expatriates to work on site with local technical people and mentor them,giving presentations/lectures/workshops on site,helping with professional society activities, andsending books and journals, etc. The level of success has been mixed, however. In this paper we briefly review key ingredients of successful technology transfer discussed in the literature. We then describe the lessons learned from three efforts that the author has been involved with. The first is an inward effort, over a period of twenty years, to adapt a sophisticated nuclear computational technology to the petroleum industry from defense and nuclear power applications. The second, an in-house transfer effort, involves offering training in an advanced reservoir monitoring methodology to trainees from both the US and abroad. The third is an outbound volunteer effort to facilitate technology by helping to set up a section of an established E&P-related professional society in a developing country and mentoring the growth of the section. Critical Success Factors Key ingredients cited in the literature for a successful technology transfer include:education and training,management process,resource availability,technology constraints,socioeconomic development,cultural value system, andquality of life. [3] While these are necessary factors, they may not be sufficient for success. In this paper we present three cases that suggest an additional set of factors that are essential to make technology transfer successful and durable. Case Study 1: Transfer of Nuclear Simulation Technology to Petroleum Industry Nuclear Technology in Reservoir characterization and Monitoring Down-hole nuclear instruments (referred to as nuclear logging sondes or tools), consisting of radiation sources and detectors, play a key role in reservoir characterization.1,[4] Nuclear tools play the primary role in monitoring fluid contact movement and saturation changes in the reservoir.[5] Traditionally, logging tools were designed, tested, and calibrated in the laboratory and then introduced for field tests and use. Often lessons learned from field tests have to be incorporated in interpretation algorithms and designs. Thus, the entire process is iterative. Figure 1 illustrates the cycle. 1 Electrical, acoustic, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) are other key down-hole reservoir characterization techniques.