User-oriented service and policy innovation in shared research equipment infrastructure: an application of the QFD and Kano's model to the Gyeonggi Bio-Center

The asymmetry of knowledge with regard to user requirements for a shared research equipmentservice makes it difficult to develop user-oriented strategies and policies. To resolve this issue,we developed a framework using the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) process and Kano’smodel for application to a case study on innovation in the shared research equipment service atthe Gyeonggi Bio-Center. Kano’s model allows us to define which service quality requirementsare attractive, one-dimensional or must-be qualities in the shared research equipment service. The QFD process has rarely been applied to the shared research equipment service (which isclosely related with technology infrastructure policy). The newly developed frameworkconsists of three actors: ‘user’, ‘service institution’ and ‘provincial government’. The QFDprocess in the framework is performed by a two-step deployment of service deployment andpolicy deployment that bridges the knowledge gap among the three actors in the regionalinnovation system. Alternatives and implications for shared research equipment service witha focus on user-friendliness have been systematically produced through application of thesuggested framework.