Encyclopedia of Technology and Innovation Management

Glossary

Absorptive capacity

the ability of a firm to recognize, assimilate, value, or make productive use of new information such as research discoveries or new manufacturing methods. Absorptive capacity is seen as a function of internal expertise; where firms' internal capabilities ob-solesce, they may be unable to make use of others' discoveries, or even recognize their importance.

Action agendas

programs to develop joint industry– government initiatives in specific sectors.

Adopter categories

market segments defined in terms of how quickly end-users purchase the new product.

America COMPETES Act

U.S. enabling legislation of 2007 that enacted but did not fund a range of policies to support U.S. R&D and innovation, including doubling over 10 years funding for innovation-enabling research at federal agencies, modernizing research and experimentation tax credits, strengthening K-12 math and science education, reforming the workforce training system, and reforming immigration in order to retain highly skilled foreign workers in the U.S.; the federal budget of December 2007 funded only a minor fraction of the initiative.

American Competitiveness Initiative—;see America COMPETES Act

Angelst ypically private, wealthy investors seeking to invest personal funds to advance innovation and development in areas outside their own business framework.

Antibody

protein produced by humans and higher animals in response to the presence of a specific antigen.

Appropriability regime

this is a term used in economics ...