Abstract The purpose of this study is to use Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to find out success factors of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) R&D alliances and relative importance of these factors, and then to get the key successful factors (KSFs) to discuss why these KSFs have important influence on SMEs R&D alliances. AHP and case study are used in this research. Through literature review, the researcher develops 4 criteria and 16 successful factors which are arranged in hierarchical structure chart. Next, case study is used to make this chart reflect better the conditions of Taiwanese SMEs R&D alliances. Finally, to find out the KSFs, AHP is used to design the questionnaire and do questionnaire survey. The results of this study are: 1. The relative importance of the 4 criteria is: business strategy (0.386), the mechanism of R&D alliance management (0.283), partners¡¦ relationship (0.207), and government policy (0.124). 2. The 6 KSFs are: identifying market demand (0.137), clearly defining roles and responsibilities (0.101), establishing mechanism of communication and mutual trust (0.091), using complementary resources and technology (0.079), routinely assessing and adjusting (0.074), and emphasizing the degree of commitment (0.074).

As the the development stage of IC design industry changes, the IC design companies in Taiwan increasingly become more and more. Taiwan design industry ranks the second place in the world, following behind the American IC design industry. The technology becomes maturer and the company scale becomes larger. The demand of the integration is a very important trend for the IC design industry. The resources Taiwan companies have are not enough to sustain the competitive advantage in the global competition. From the viewpoint of markets and products, the systematic companies own the power to decide the product standards. The product development is inclined to the development of Digital Home Integretion. This study is based on the RBV theory to observe the way to compete during the different IC design companies, the industrial analysis by the Five Forces model, and the degree of commanding the demands of customers. Finally, we hope to find out some KSFs (Key Success Factors) of Taiwan IC design companies and IC design industry. This study finds that the scope of product line becomes more and more important. How to decide and develop the new product line efficiently and successfully is a KSF in the future of the IC industry. In the past, Taiwan IC design companies owned the competitive advatege by low-cost stratege, but it is not the KSF in the modern time. The company will focus on the development of integration, brand, and the demand of the product market. We interviewed the executives of the different IC companies in Taiwan, and regarded those companies as our target companies of case study to analyze their KSFs. We discussed their strategies and KSFs by the model of this study. We also find the KSFs may change as the time moves. Key Words¡GIC industry, resource-based theory, KSFs