Technology · Services
Technology Transfer: Moving Knowledge, Not Just Equipment
Technology transfers fail less often because of equipment and more often because of knowledge that was never written down.
Technology transfer happens in many forms: from a development team to production, from one site to another, from a parent company to a subsidiary, or from a seller to a buyer. In every form, the same lesson repeats: drawings and machines move easily, but the knowledge of how and why things are done moves only through people.
Three layers of what is transferred
- Explicit knowledge: specifications, drawings, procedures and software.
- Equipment and materials: machines, fixtures, test systems and qualified suppliers.
- Tacit knowledge: the judgment and experience of the people who made it work.
A staged transfer
Successful transfers move in stages: preparation, knowledge capture, parallel operation, handover and stabilization. Each stage has acceptance criteria, measured in yield, quality and performance, not in completed checklists.
Culture and communication
Transfers between countries add language and culture to the challenge. Shared definitions, joint teams and people who move between sites for a period make the difference.
Hardware, software and cyber
- Hardware: production processes, equipment and supplier networks.
- Software: codebases, development environments and the architectural knowledge behind them.
- Cyber: secure handling of sensitive technology, export control and access management.
How we work
We plan and lead technology transfers end to end, between teams, sites and countries, drawing on experience transferring production know-how internationally.
See also: Stage guide: Global expansion · Article: What a cup of tea taught me about technology transfer
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This article reflects the author’s professional opinion only. It is general information, not professional advice or a recommendation to take any action, and any use of it is the reader’s sole responsibility.