Working Paper Cnr-Ceris, N° 15/2014

Bridging Organizations between University and Industry:  from Science to Contract Research(*)

Angelo Bonomi

National Research Council of Italy
Institute for Economic Research on Firm and Growth
CNR-Ceris, via Real Collegio 30,
10024 Moncalieri (To), Italy

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 Abstract: Two bridging organizations, NIS and Agroinnova, formed both in 2003 internally to the University of Turin, have been studied through a good practice benchmarking in view to assess their validity in the science to business process especially concerning Italian SMEs. References for benchmarking have been established by suitable definitions of technology, technology innovation and a structured model of technology followed by a description of the innovation process as a sequence of steps. Benchmarking attention has been focused on contract research and technology transfer office activities. The results of the study show that such type of bridging organizations, and especially their spin-offs in contract research, may be a good possibility to foster the science to business process. However bottlenecks exist and concern the low diffusion of an entrepreneurial mentality that limits generation of innovative ideas for new technologies despite a large activity in scientific research. Bottlenecks concerning SMEs are mainly lack of experience in R&D and technology management. Fostering of science to business process by a simple increase of funds does not appear effective without a change in mentalities, adoption of suitable industrial policies and new concepts for bridging structures and financial aids to SMEs.

Keywords: R&D, technology innovation, bridging organization, contract research, SMEs

JEL Codes: O32, O38, I23

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(*) Revision of paper presented at the 27^th CHER Annual Conference, Rome 8-10 September 2014