Research development innovation (RDI) inside companies

In France, most research, development and innovation (RDI) is carried out in the private sector. It is necessary to transform a company's strategic and commercial vision into products that can be manufactured under economic, financial, legal and regulatory conditions that are compatible with profitability. Unlike public-sector research structures, where R&D involves the bulk of production staff, industrial R&D departments are numerically a minority within the company. However, they must be integrated into the organization's systems, standards, management and purchasing practices. Under these conditions, the practices observed are very different from those generally in place in public organizations, in terms of organization, human resources, project management and the construction of a knowledge repository.

In this article, we will attempt to provide an overview of practices generally observed in industrial RDI departments, based both on feedback from technical directors or design office managers, and on industry publications or standards.

RDI practices have been evolving rapidly over the last ten years or so, both as a result of our better understanding of organizations and behavioral economics, and as a result of new, fast-growing economic sectors such as new information and communication technologies.