Technology scouting is an element of technology management in which It is a starting point of a long term and interactive matching process between external technologies and internal requirements of an existing organization for strategic purposes.
[5] It can also be regarded as a method of technology forecasting[6] or in the broader context also an element of corporate foresight.
[7] Technology scouting may also be applied as an element of an open innovation approach.
[10] The technology scout is either an employee of the company or an external consultant who engages in boundary spanning processes to tap into novel knowledge and span internal boundaries.
These characteristics include being a lateral thinker, knowledgeable in science and technology, respected inside the company, cross-disciplinary orientated, and imaginative personality.