Partnership for innovation with SMEs: Enhancing technology transfer from large public research institutions

Beschreibung

Innovation is increasingly recognised as a complex knowledge generation process that covers technological, organizational, financial and social dimensions. Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) often face substantial barriers to innovation. Large public research institutes (LPRIs), on the other hand, offer potential crucial assets that are able to improve the innovative performance of SMEs: Technological capacity, financial resources and essential networks. Supported by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour, the "Partnership for innovation with SMEs" has been developed in order to make better use of LPRIs in supporting innovation in Austrian SMEs. The instrument comprises risk and revenue sharing between a research institute and an SME within a single co-operative innovation project, where the research institute offers easy access to R&D and technology whereas the partnering SME focuses on commercialisation. The respective funds within the research institute are generated through public start-up financing and will become self-sustained in the medium term. In addition, comprehensive innovation-related services are supplied, such as "innovation oriented coaching", technology and market assessment, as well as legal advice. This paper presents the transfer model ("Partnership for innovation with SMEs") and focuses on the "experimental" approach that was employed in the design and validation of this policy instrument. In the Austrian Research Centers (ARC), the largest non-university research organisation in Austria, a two-year pilot project was conducted comprising three single partnership projects ("experiments") in core competence fields of the institute (one in high performance materials and two in mechatronics). These "experiments" were conceptualised, continuously observed and analysed using an evolutionary firm-level model of the innovation process. With the support of an international advisory board of researchers, government officials and transfer practicioners, learning loops were incorporated on the project and the design levels. Thus, a validated instrument for technology transfer form large public research institutes to SMEs was prepared for Austria´s innovation policy.

Zeitraum	10 Juni 2004 → 12 Juni 2004
Ereignistitel	13th Nordic Conference on Small Business Research
Veranstaltungstyp	Sonstiges
Bekanntheitsgrad	International