LAYING OUT AN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR IMPLEMENTING A KNOWLEDGE STRATEGY

摘要

The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science & Technology (EIAST) is a Dubai Government organization which was established with the purpose of actively contributing to the development of a knowledge-based economy by developing advanced science and technology programs. The DubaiSat program started as a technology and know-how transfer program with the main objective of developing a team capable of designing, developing, manufacturing, assembling and operating a satellite system. With the transfer of development leadership to the team at EIAST, an initiative was taken to manage, create and re-distribute our primary asset, knowledge. As a starting point, before a necessary knowledge strategy is implemented, the ground works needed to be laid out within the organization in order to facilitate the implementation of such a strategy. Several systems and cultural changes were the tools to integrate the concepts of knowledge management into the organization. Applied research and development projects were chosen as the primary tool for knowledge generation. A stronger focus has been placed on the developmental nature of everyday tasks, aligning them with tools for knowledge creation and maintenance. The paper will highlight the setup of this infrastructure, the systems created and the challenges faced during the first phase of implementing a knowledge management process within the organization. In addition, the paper will show the various tools used within the organization and the future development of a knowledge strategy.