fitt toolbox tt collaboration

www.FITT-for-Innovation.eu

ProcessTechnology Transfer Collaboration

FITT

(Fostering Interregional Exchange in ICT Technology Transfer)

2 | Technology Transfer Collaboration

Process in general

Knowledge and technology transfer take place in channels of interaction:

1. Among Technology Transfer Office (TTOs) → internationalisation

2. Between TTOs and other actors → local TT collaboration


Benefits of Networking

Among TTOs

(Internationalisation)

Networks for people active in technology transfer

These networks gather the people active in technology transfer:

• Be in touch with pairs at the international level

• Access to training, seminars

• Exchange of good practices, tools, experiences

• Propose solutions for common issues in TT

Networks for technology transfer

These networks are facilitators for a technology transfer at an international level

• Promotion of innovation

• Partners reservoir

• Hunting of investors

Between TTOs and local actors

(local TT collaboration)

The collaboration with local networks or clusters, through links and interactions of cooperation, generates trust and value for the TTOS.

Privileged, neutral and legitimate channel for two-ways transfer between TTO and field actors

More concretely, these privileged accesses create:

• Opportunity to push innovative technologies and knowledge

• Development of competencies and expertise

• Up-to-date information

• Identification of collaboration opportunities

• Assessment of research results potential

• Facilitation of their transfer


Pro’s and Con’s of networking among TTOs (internationalisation)

PRO’s

• Positioning of your organisation at the international level (visibility, make your voice heard)

• Get in touch with pairs at the international level.

• Increase team competences (access to training, share experiences)

• Professionalize your activity (access to practical tools, lessons learned)

CON’s

• Time consuming

• Difficulty to finance these activities (fees, travel & accommodation)

• Not a real TT activity


Local TT collaborationIdentification of the local actors

CLUSTERS

“Geography proximate group of interconnected companies and associated institutions in a particular field, linked by commonalities and complementarities”

Clusters encompass an array of linked industries and other entities important to competition. They include suppliers of specialized inputs: which can be classified as: products, services or raw materials.

The European Cluster memorandum states: “Clusters (…) provide an environment conducive to innovation. They enable open innovation, the creation and refinement of new ideas in networks of cooperating companies and institutions. And they lower the barriers for transforming new ideas into business and capturing the benefits of globalization”

KNOWLEDGE NETWORKS

Coordinated system of heterogeneous actors, developing cooperation relations to reach collectively a shared objective.

Knowledge networks are aimed at sharing, exchanging and producing knowledge. These networks rely on the "quality of the exchanged knowledge" which is not limited only to the simple "know-who".

Intensive relations facilitate the access to diverse knowledge (tacit and implicit).

These interactions can of course being at the origin of innovating ideas.


Local TT collaboration in Practice


Local TT collaboration Network support services

Supporting networks and clusters as soon as they emerge helps them overcome the challenges of this risky phase. Exchanging complex and strategic information and concretely cooperation requires trust among participants, as well as the opportunity to meet and develop or strengthen links.

The support to network creation grants networks access to a range of logistical and communication services, helping them organize their activities and communicate on these activities toward a targeted audience…

These services are delivered in the framework of a global cooperation charter and agreement. These documents set the base for a strong cooperation between TTO and networks but also among networks.

This bunch of services was designed as a corporate tool for Tudor. Through close interactions, it enables to align local networks topics and activities with strategic objectives in terms of technology transfer.


Networking between TTOs and other actors Cluster collaboration platform

Cooperation, coordination, communication are processes that can be IT-supported.

A cooperation platform for clusters or network:

• Supports pushing free useful and strategic information on clusters or networks issues through a “cluster handbook”

• Provides them with restricted access dedicated to their members in form of a Social Network

• Offers users/members a central information tool, where knowledge is documented and exchange is fostered.

• Provides a dedicated management tool,

This platform is a mean to push information on the field and gives a priviledged access to information on networks life and management issues


Networking between TTOs and other actors Walloon portal INNOVONS.be

Portal that aims at mapping competencies to help networks create an in-depth knowledge of the competencies their stakeholders master, i.e. the opportunities of combining this knowledge in order to achieve their goals through internal but also external cooperation.

• Further level of integration

• Creation of local synergies

• Collaborative research opportunities or fields of experimentation


Pro’s and Con’s of local TT collaboration

PRO’s

•Legitimacy and embeddedness in local and economic context

• Mutual competencies development

• Privileged access to information

CON’s

• Return of investment or impact of networking and clustering impact is mainly intangible and not simultaneous with investment. It is difficult to asses.

• Time-consuming & costly activity


Suggested Readings

Link to bibliography

(1) Metrics for Knowledge Transfer from Public Research Organisations in Europe, Report from the European Commission’s Expert Group on Knowledge Transfer Metrics.

http://ec.europa.eu/invest-in-research/pdf/download_en/knowledge_transfer_web.pdf

(2) Michael E. Porter, Cluster and the New Economics of Competition, Harvard Business Review, 1998, Reprint 98609. http://www.deu.edu.tr/userweb/sedef.akgungor/dosyalar/porter.pdf

(3) The European Cluster Memorandum. Promoting European Innovation through clusters : an agenda for Policy action.

http://www.clusterobservatory.eu/upload/European_Cluster_Memorandum.pdf


Suggested Readings

Link to code book

Clusters

Networks

Link to relevant websites

France Clusters