The changing role of R&D gatekeepers

Understanding connnunication flows in R&D laboratories for the last five decades has been enhanced by illinninating the role of'R&D gatekeepers. Simply put, for applied projects (as opposed to basic or service R&D), the R&D gatekeeper usually the first-line supervisor in a research group-was traditionall)) the priniai-1; reservoir of ideas,for new and iinproi)ed products..4dd inarketing and one has the balanced inodel qfidea sourcing. Have things changed? Dataftoin three studies conducted oi,er 15 'years on successfid Soln'cinu of ideas.for new products and services, shoii, 7 that the profile.for the R&D gatekeeper has evolved aii,,cii;_fi-oi)ipi-iii7cii-i;clepei7detice oii,fii-st-lillesilpel-visol-,,;. This role is now more broadl v shared across several positions aboie (e.g., R&D middle management and VP qf'R&D) and below (e.g., engineering and R&D staffi the technicalsuper14sor, eslmciallly in S117all- and inediumsized enterprises.