ATP Working Paper Series
Working Paper 05–01
Appendix 1. Interview Questions
and Discussion Topics
Broddarp of Nevada designed
and administered the following questions to 40 individuals representing
over 35 organizations, including major battery companies, materials and
component suppliers, the military and government, venture capital and
start-up companies, intellectual property experts, OEMs, and universities.
- Why are there no large
volume Li-ion or other advanced battery manufacturers in the U.S.?
- Identify the factors
affecting the introduction of new rechargeable batteries in the United
States. What are the barriers to commercializing new battery technology?
- What are the business
strategies (industry) and policy mechanisms (government) that relate
to these issues?
- What are the implications
for selection and funding for projects in the fuel cell area?
- Assess relevance of
these findings to other electronic-material technologies, e.g., displays
and consumer electronics.
- Consider new initiatives
in national policy and business strategies to address these problems.
These questions were asked
in the context of broader discussion of the following topics:
- General industry characteristics
for success in incorporating new technology (How do you recognize
that a technology is ready for commercialization?)
- Impact of labor costs
(Type of production, mass or niche)
- Capital costs for
new facilities (Cost per cell, cost per ton for a new product
and its impact on decisionmaking)
- Existing manufacturing
infrastructure on a global basis (Importance of support structure
and its availability)
- OEM requirements and
philosophy (Customer requirements for supply of product; how
to identify new product opportunities)
- Replacement market
(OEM vs. consumer, relative size)
- Intellectual property
issues, competitive technology advantage (How important for new
product vs. improvement; venture vs. current manufacturer)
- Logistics considerations
(Shipping costs, etc., plant location, transportation of supplies)
- Government policies
(Effect on decisions, changes to encourage new product development)
- Investment in R&D
and in new equipment (In-house vs. purchased, major analytical
items)
- People impact - characteristics
of for successful implementation (Availability of qualified personnel,
type, how to identify, etc.)
- Other
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Date created: July 21,
2005
Last updated:
August 4, 2005
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