Need for agility in a globalised world

Updated on: Monday, July 05, 2010

Director, HP Labs, India, says that a major challenge in research & development (R&D ) is to stay updated, hence professionals need to keep track of the latest trends

Research & Development (R&D ) refers to creative work to expand the existing pool of knowledge. Research may encompass any field, from arts and humanities to sciences and engineering. Focusing on the information and communications technologies (ICT), the emerging trends in R&D include convergence of digital media (including paper), convergence of wireless and optical communication, evolution towards intelligent infrastructure, rich and intuitive human-computer interaction and cloud computing, among others.

A major challenge in this field includes updating yourself. As such, dealing with complexity requires knowledge of many domains and strong collaborative teams. Another challenge that most businesses are facing today includes changing business models, hence the need to be agile and fast in this globalised world. Since there are a plethora of options to choose from, one needs to know how to choose the right opportunities. Similarly, real-time information sharing and collaboration across multiple time zones poses a major challenge. A professional also needs to learn to extract useful information from a vast amount of data.

GROWTH AREAS

The current demands in R&D lie in services automation, novel services and applications (where margins are significantly higher than in the HW), application of IT in traditional businesses (transportation , heavy industries, manufacturing, education, healthcare), e-governance , and simplifying IT for the non-technical population all over the world, especially in the developing world.

SKILL-SETS REQUIRED

The ability to think critically and have good judgment to tradeoff competing requirements and opportunities is the need of the hour. Also, knowledge of technologies, new trends and business acumen are the pre-requisites . To get into the industry, one should also have a strong foundation in science and engineering with awareness of business trends. Besides, good communication skills are paramount these days to rise in any organisation.

REMUNERATION

Remuneration is attractive and growth opportunities are unlimited for those who are outstanding performers because there is shortage of technology experts and mid-level managers. The point to keep in mind is that after entering an organisation, the educational background counts very little; it is the performance on-the-job that matters, which includes viewing the problem space in a broader context and with a strategic vision. Thus, exposure and experience in multiple areas is critical for career growth.

Times of India

Need for agility in a globalised world

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