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.