Strategy Simulation: Back Bay Battery

Players allocate research and development resources between established and emerging battery technologies. They must also choose market priorities while responding to uncertain demand, technical progress, and competitive pressure.

A promising technology can consume substantial R&D funding before it produces a commercially useful product. Meanwhile, customers may still reward improvements to the company's existing battery line, creating a classic innovator's dilemma.

The Harvard Business Publishing simulation focuses on managing innovation across mature and disruptive technologies. It demonstrates how short-term financial targets can conflict with the long development cycle of a new technical platform.

The simulation can be assigned to individual students, while instructors commonly use the results for team discussion and classroom debriefing. Access is normally distributed through a Harvard Business Publishing course rather than sold as a consumer game.