87

I n n ovation S er vices
G uideb o ok

The project is implemented through the CENTRAL EUROPE

Programme and is co-financed by the European Regional
Development Fund.
88

University of Debrecen
www.unideb.hu Amitié
Prof. László Mátyus www.amitie.it
free-project@unideb.hu Pier Giacomo Sola
Tel: +36 52 518-640 pgsola@amitie
Fax: +36 52 518-640 Tel: +39 051273173
Fax: +39 0516560416
Municipality of Velenje
www.velenje.si
Rok Matjaž
rok.matjaz@velenje.si Klimentovská a. s.
Tel: +386 3 8961 544 www.klimentovska.as
Petra Jirásková
TechnoCenter at the University petra.jiraskova@klimentovska.as
of Maribor Tel: +420 777 738 777
www.tehnocenter.uni-mb.si
Anton Habjanič, Ph.D Multipurpose Union
anton.habjanic@uni-mb.si of Kecskemét and its Region
Tel: +386 2 23 55 365 www.aranyhomok.hu
Dr. Sándor Lakó
lako.sandor@aranyhomok.hu
Tel: +36 30 4635320
Fax: +3676 850020
Centuria RIT
www.centuria-rit.com
Chiara Pari
c.pari@centuria-rit.com
Tel: +39 0547415080
Fax: +39 0547313291
Published in April, 2010

http://free.unideb.hu

The project is implemented through the CENTRAL

EUROPE Programme and is co-financed by the
European Regional Development Fund.
 1

Contents

Project FREE 2 IT We Tech Off 44

Guidelines 3 CZ Business Incubators 46
Criteria for Quick Assessment of Each Service 4 HU University of Debrecen Technology
Transfer Office 48
EU The Enterprise Europe Network 6
HU
EU The European Investment Fund 50
Gábor Baross Programme 8
SLO Business plan 1.4 52
IT Patent Monitoring 10
SLO
IT F1RST 54
e-VEM 12
CZ
HU Darinno 56
Innovation vouchers 14
HU
CZ The R&D Information System 58
Regional Innovation Agencies 16
EU
EU The Innovating Regions in Europe (IRE)
PRO INNO Europe® 18
network 60
SLO Young Researchers in the Economy 20 HU PatLib Centre Debrecen 62
CZ Brokerage Events 22 SLO I Have an Idea! 64
HU Incubator House for the Future! 24
IT R2B Days and R&D Days 66
IT Research by commercial, technological HU DEAK 68
and scientific partners 26
EU
EU esp@cenet 70
The Enterprise e-Services Portal 28
SLO
CZ Technology Watch 72
The Best Researcher Competition 30
HU Bioincubator Centre Debrecen 74
HU Regional Knowledge Centres at Universities 32
SLO A business plan that attracts investors! 76
IT Technology Transfer Day 34
CZ IT Technology Foresight Study 78
Clusters 36
EU CORDIS 80
EU Innovation Europe 38
HU GAMF 82
HU Micro Credit Program 40
SLO Start:up Slovenia 42
 PROJECT FREE
FREE intends to contribute to regional development in
Central Europe by setting up innovation systems capable
of bridging between technical experts, researchers,
entrepreneurs and regional and national authorities. The
capacity of regional actors to turn knowledge and skills
into sustainable competitive advantage is crucial to regions’
economic performance, as innovation is most effectively
addressed at regional level, where physical proximity fosters
the partnership between actors.
The project’s general objectives are: to stimulate technology
transfer and knowledge exchange mechanisms; to foster
access to scientific knowledge and the use of already
existing knowledge; to set up and intensify the application-
oriented cooperation between R&D and industry.
Innovation Services Guidebook gathers good practices,
which are aimed at academia, SMEs or both, in project
partners’ countries and also on the EU level. Principally, it
serves as a reference material to 'mediators of innovation'
during training sessions and pilot projects. With analyzed
transferable aspects and innovation features one can
consider adopting good practices or improving already
existing services.
Other activities, which complete the project’s mission,
are: creating Innovation Systems Guidebook; setting up
R&D Yellow Pages with data on R&D results in the partners’
regions; establishing a network of ‘mediators of innovation’,
i.e. individuals with a set of interdisciplinary competences
able to support the transfer of knowledge; elaborating
training modules and organizing training in each project
partner’s region regarding innovation support; issuing
the Patent and Technology Newsletter; organizing the
Technology Transfer Day.
Project activities will end in June 2011, with outputs ready
for adoption and further development.
Project partners: University of Debrecen (Hungary),
Municipality of Velenje (Slovenia), TechnoCenter at the
University of Maribor (Slovenia), Centuria RIT (Italy), Amitié
(Italy), Klimentovska PLC (Czech Republic), Multipurpose
Union of Kecskemét and its Region (Hungary).
A more extensive analysis of innovation services is available
on the project’s website: http://free.unideb.hu
GUIDELINES
In the present analysis key factors have been identified
which must be considered while setting up an innovation
service or undertaking the improvement of an existing
one. These key factors represent guidelines to institutions,
capable of setting up specialized services that can be useful
for SMEs and public research institutes in the context of
bringing them closer to each other and facilitating the
exchange of knowledge. The analysis has been carried
out to understand the different mechanisms and contexts
which allow knowledge and R&D results to be transformed
into new products, services and innovative solutions.
Following the initial introduction of the guidelines, the
following sections introduce the most successful innovation
services in partners’ territories along with a presentation of
Europe-wide services.
Key factors of successful innovation services
Coherence with the innovation strategy. A strong strategy
behind a group of actions induces synergy and increases their
impact on regional development. The innovation services
provided must be in line with national and regional innovation
policy and strategy and with the innovation system.
Focusing on a specific goal. The most effective services
aim to achieve a certain positive result and thus narrow
the focus down to address one of the objectives within the
innovation strategy.
Focusing on a specific group of users. By specializing the
service for just one group of users, the service becomes
more effective.
A strong supportive team. The team behind the service
must be professional, competent and easily accessible if
additional support and assistance is required.
Offering a high level of knowledge. Investments in knowledge,
new ways of creating added value, and training and consulting
are very important elements in successful services.
Displaying direct benefit and value for the user. Users
seek time-saving operations, better efficiency, knowledge,
networking and financial reward.
Security measures. In the process of implementing the
service, users’ confidential information is in many cases
displayed to the service provider. Security measures must
thus be undertaken to protect users’ information and to
gain trust and guarantee reliability.
Providing multiple benefits for the user. Services offering
many benefits for the user at once prove to be more
effective and better accepted.
Achieving cooperation and/or competitiveness among
users. Successful services promote cooperation between
users, as well as competitiveness at some points.
Cooperating with other partners. The organization
providing the service cooperates with the government,
well established companies, institutes, individual experts
and other organizations in all necessary areas.
Constantly improving and learning. The service itself is
changing and innovating. Gathering feedback, monitoring
and evaluation are therefore indispensable.
 CRITERIA FOR QUICK ASSESSMENT OF EACH SERVICE

If the service couldn’t be assessed directly by these criteria, the points were meaningfully awarded in relation to them.

Profitability
5 POINTS High profit (more than 20% of the costs).
4 POINTS Moderate profit (under 20 % of the costs).
3 POINTS Minor profit (under 5% of the costs).
2 POINTS Indirect profitability (for example: through returned taxes, sponsors).
1 POINT Enough income to cover the costs – zero profit.
0 POINTS Services are provided free of charge – no profit.

Initial resources
5 POINTS Very high financial resources (increasing 1 million Euro).
4 POINTS High financial resources (under 1 million Euro).
3 POINTS Moderate financial resources (under 500 000 Euro).
2 POINTS Minor financial resources (under 100 000 Euro).
1 POINT Very low financial resources within the institution implementing the service
(under 5 000 Euro).
0 POINTS No initial resources.

Independence
5 POINTS Completely independent, including only internal staff and members, financing from
own funds.
4 POINTS Independent in programme, dependent in financing.
3 POINTS Weakly connected in programme and financing with other organizations.
2 POINTS Moderately connected in programme and financing with other organizations.
1 POINT Greatly connected in programme and financing with other organizations.
0 POINTS Completely connected in programme and financing with other organizations,
without which the service will not be possible.
CRITERIA FOR QUICK ASSESSMENT OF EACH SERVICE

Soft factors
5 POINTS Full set of personalized services such as consultancy, training, feasibility studies.
4 POINTS Personalized service such as consultancy, training, feasibility studies.
3 POINTS Interactive group trainings and consultancy.
2 POINTS Seminars, conferences, partner search.
1 POINT Just offering information (guidelines, manuals, databases).
0 POINTS No soft factors.

Hard factors
5 POINTS High financial resources (increasing 500 000 Euro).
4 POINTS Moderate financial resources (under 500 000 Euro).
3 POINTS Minor financial resources (under 100 000 Euro).
2 POINTS Potential access to higher funds (increasing 200 000 Euro; if certain criteria are fulfilled).
1 POINT Potential access to minor or moderate funds (under 200 000 Euro; if certain criteria
are fulfilled).

0 POINTS No funds or potential access to funds.

 THE ENTERPRISE EUROPE NETWORK EU

The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) is the largest network of contact points providing information and advice
to EU companies on EU matters, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). EEN provides practical
answers to specific questions in the native language. It offers a wide range of services as a 'one-stop shop’ for
businesses in over 40 countries. The Network offers concrete and effective solutions to entrepreneurs and
companies in more than 40 countries, including the 27 EU member states, three EU candidate countries (Croatia,
the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey), members of the European Economic Area (EEA) and
other participating third countries.

Profitability The Enterprise Europe Network fully exploits the synergies

Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
The Enterprise Europe Network is unique both in terms of its
wide geographic reach and of the wide range of integrated
services it provides to SMEs and other business actors. This
is made possible thanks to the coordinated action of nearly
600 local partner organizations, employing around 3 000
experienced staff working to support the competitiveness
of EU businesses. The new integrated Network offers a ‘one-
stop shop’ to meet all the information needs of SMEs and
companies in Europe.
Instruments include business partner search within
technology and business cooperation databases and fast
access to information on funding opportunities. Individual
on-site visits to companies to assess their needs and a
broad range of promotional and informational material
can be organised. Representatives of the Network can also
help businesses understand EU law, how it applies to their
business and how to make the most of the internal market
and EU programmes.
between all support services and helpdesks aimed
at European businesses. The ‘one-stop shop’ service is
accompanied by a ‘no wrong door’ policy: an entrepreneur
or business actor can enter the Network through any
contact point, and will then be assisted and personally
directed to the relevant service or organization.
The Enterprise Europe Network offers easy access and
proximity to local services for SMEs, thus creating regional
business gateways. Regional consortia cooperate to create
a coherent support structure for local companies, boosting
the region’s profile and its competitiveness.
Business actors are encouraged to share, define and
disseminate best practices in fields such as innovation,
expansion to new markets, enlargement of the client
base, improvement of market position, etc. As a result,
the Enterprise Europe Network helps SMEs realize their
potential in terms of growth and regional job creation.
The Network also improves the relationship between
the European Commission and business. Network
representatives provide the Commission with regular
feedback on EU policy, the difficulties SMEs face operating
THE ENTERPRISE EUROPE NETWORK EU

in the EU and the effectiveness of the EU’s programmes. All

this will help shape EU law that is more business-friendly and
will stimulate growth and competitiveness across the EU.
The Network is there to support the European Commission
and help it to help business.  

The Network offers a whole host of services:

• Providing information and practical advice on
market opportunities, European legislation and
policies relevant to a company or sector.
• Helping SMEs to find suitable business partners
using its business and technology cooperation
database.
• Developing the research and innovation capacities
of SMEs. Website: http://www.enterprise-europe-network.ec.europa.
• Helping SMEs to share research results, participate in eu/index_en.htm
research programs and apply for funding,
• Involving SMEs and business actors in the policy-
making process.

Contact:
Use the online form at http://www.enterprise-europe-network.ec.europa.eu/about/contact
European Commission Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry:
Entr-Business-Cooperation@ec.europa.eu
 GÁBOR BAROSS PROGRAMME Hungary

8
The Gábor Baross Programme was prepared and created by the National Office for Research and Technology. The
programme provides the framework and tools to support RDI projects in the regions. Every year, there are seven
individual Gábor Baross Programmes in the country, one in each region. The regions have the right to propose
what kind of RDI activity they want to support from the funds in their own region.

Profitability is designed by the Regional Innovation Agencies based

Initial resources for setting up the service on their Regional Innovation Strategy. The Regional
Independence Innovation Agency carries out the preparatory work
Soft factors and the Regional Development Council is required to
Hard factors accept the call for proposals. Even though it seems to
be a decentralized initiative, it is effectively centrally
This measure was first introduced in 2005 and since then controlled. After the regional planning and acceptance,
–­ except in 2008 when the most recent call for proposals the National Office for Research and Technology approves
was published – it has been a great success in all regions, the call for proposals and then launches the calls for
especially in Észak-Alföld. each of the regions and carries out the contracting and
In the Észak-Alföld Region the following sums have been financing of the project. The evaluation of the proposals
available over recent years: and the monitoring of the projects are undertaken in the
regions, supported by the National Office for Research
Year Gábor Baross Programme - Észak- and Technology.
Alföld Region
2005 4 million Euro The programme is intended for all legal entities: private
2006 2.8 million Euro entrepreneurs, non-profit companies, educational and
2007-2008 7.25 million Euro research institution, governmental or private non-profit
2009 4.3 million Euro research centres and foundations operating in the territory
of the Észak-Alföld Region.
Each year emphasis was placed on different priorities,
such as intense academia-industry co-operation in the Gábor Baross Programme is financed from the Research
regions, focused R&D projects, improved innovation and Technology Innovation Fund, which provides stable
capabilities, significant investment projects, and the and reliable financing for RTDI activities. The independent
efficient and rapid commercialization of R&D results. government Fund is envisioned to promote both
The planning of the annual Gábor Baross Programme demand driven innovation and the knowledge based
GÁBOR BAROSS PROGRAMME Hungary

competitiveness of companies. The Fund is financed by Results

mandatory contributions from all companies registered In the 4 years of its activity a total of 178 projects have been
in Hungary, matched with the same amount annually financed in the Észak-Alföld region, with an overall budget
from the government budget. of approximately 20 million Euros.

Contact: Észak-Alföld Regional Development Agency • http://www.eszakalfold.hu

 PAT E N T M O N I T O R I N G
10
Patent Monitoring consists of a monitoring of specialized international databases, with the aim of identifying
patents of potential interest for enterprises. The service is provided by Centuria RIT, a Science and Technology
Park in the Emilia-Romagna Region.
Profitability
Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
P AT E N T M O N I T O R I N G
The monitoring is conducted according to different
modalities: search by keywords; search by applicant/
assignee name - in this case the investigation focuses on
the individual or body applying for the patent; and specific
monitoring, related to the state of the art in a specific
sector/technology.
The Patent Monitor started in 2002, and is a continuous
service intended mainly for Associates of Centuria RIT in the
Emilia-Romagna Region.
Patent Monitoring on a continuous basis is free, the cost
being included in the Associate’s annual fee. For external
enterprises, it is financed by a regional project. Specific
researches or patent surveillance, depending on the search
requested, may require payment of a fee.
The enterprises involved in the patent monitoring services
come from two main sectors: manufacturing and agro-
food, and they can obtain information about patents of
interest, identify the state of the art of a sector, and carry
out strategic research and possible collaborations. The
Italy
service improves the innovation and competitiveness of
enterprises at a national and international level.
RESULTS
Patent monitoring allows the user to focus R&D on specific
areas of interest; to be aware of newly issued patents and
patent applications in a specific sector, and to gain insights
into the market plans of various competitors.
It is often necessary to monitor the status and on-going
activity of pending patent applications or the patents
themselves, and to protect and defend patents as new
information becomes available. The service supports
enterprises by saving them time and money.
Strengths of the service:
• Ad hoc service/ personalized,
• The main aspects of the activity are tailored to the
individual enterprise,
• Service on a continuous basis (search by keywords), free
service,
• Answers to enterprises’ need for information and
updating,
• Time-saving service for enterprises (which often have
no time or resources for this kind of activity),
• Specific, ad hoc information: Centuria RIT sifts, selects
and summarizes the results according to the enterprise
sector/requests,
• Centuria RIT provides support in the definition of
P A T E N T M O N I T O R I N G      Italy

research and in the analysis of outputs; the service
has a “progressive” structure: first an abstract with the
main information, then optional widening, finally the
complete text (free of charge) of the patent,
• Data sources used by the service: free specialized
11
international databases (Espacenet, USPTO, UIBM,
Depatisnet, etc.) available to all,
• The service is completely transferable (international
database available, service methodology, different
types of search subjects in different sectors).

Contact:
Centuria RIT Romagna Innovazione Tecnologia
Patrizia Bernardelli
p.bernardelli@centuria-rit.com
 e -VEM
12
The e-VEM (Vse na Enem Mestu – All in One Place) for companies is a web-based portal, which enables the free
and simple registration of companies (simple limited company and private entrepreneur) within a few days. The
portal is supported by a network of people and organizations which process applications and advise users.
Profitability
Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
The e-VEM for companies (available on evem.gov.si) project
was realized under the auspices of the Ministry of Public
Administration and presented to the public in February
2008. In the period from 1st January 2007 to 1st February
2008 more than 2.5 million EUR were invested in the
development and maintenance of the e-VEM system, the
training of VEM points’ referees, notaries and court referees,
and on a comprehensive promotional campaign. Further
funds were invested in the new development phase based
on the needs expressed by institutions and VEM officers.
Interfaces for information systems for six institutions were
developed:
• the Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Public
Legal Records and Related Services, where e-VEM
sends applications for registration in the court
register;
• the Tax Administration, where e-VEM obtains a tax
number for a newly created company;
Slovenia
• the Health Insurance Institute, where e-VEM sends
applications for mandatory health and pension
insurance;
• the Employment Service, where e-VEM sends
applications related to labour demands;
• the Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia,
where e-VEM sends the data needed to obtain a
trade license;
• the Institute for Pension and Disability Insurance,
where e-VEM sends applications for mandatory
health and pension insurance;
• At the same time the e-VEM system obtains data
from the Central Population Register, the Register of
Spatial Units, the Register of Taxpayers.
The e-VEM for companies system brings positive results to
business entities and public administration institutions. In
more than 90% of cases, applications are complete, which
enables the relevant institutions to make rapid decisions.
10.2 million EUR of savings for businesses per year have
been recorded. These savings are primarily derived from
the abolishment of various fees and the optimization
of procedures. There has been a 20% increase in limited
companies since the introduction of the e-VEM system
and users are highly satisfied (VEM points receive an overall
average rating of 4.7; 5.0 is the maximum rating).
e -VEM Slovenia

In 2009 the project received the following awards:
• The best 2009 IKT project, awarded by the Slovenian
Society of Information Technology.
• The United Nations Public Service Award - UNPSA
13
2009 in the category ‘Improving the delivery of
services in the public sector’.
• Good practice Label - European eGovernment
Awards 2009, from the European Commission.

Contact: Ministry of Public Administration

http://www.mju.gov.si • gp.mju@gov.si • +386 1 4788330
 I N N O VAT I O N V O U C H E R S Czech Republic

14
Vouchers represent a one-time grant to an entrepreneur intended for the purchase of services or knowledge from
their providers – universities. The knowledge obtained should be new to the entrepreneur and should facilitate
innovation of their product, process or service. The assumption is that through these pilot projects the parties will
establish long-term relationships and will then cooperate on more demanding projects in the future.

Profitability The project, which has already been successfully

Initial resources for setting up the service tested, particularly in Western Europe, was introduced
Independence in the Czech Republic for the first time in March, 2009.
Soft factors Innovation vouchers help convince entrepreneurs that
Hard factors knowledge providers from the academic sphere are able
I N N O VAT I O N V O U C H E R S
to solve their scientific and research problems effectively
and without risk.
It is more a stimulation tool than a subsidy tool – a
voucher for one firm with a value of CZK 150,000 (6,000
EUR), cannot cover large projects. However, it can help
motivate entrepreneurs to establish contacts with
researchers, which would not normally be possible
otherwise. Innovation vouchers give an opportunity, even
to a project that would otherwise not come about without
these subsidies. An important assumed side-effect is the
strengthening of the role of resultant technology transfer
centres at the universities. These will be the main channel
for communication and a contact agent for carrying out
specific researches.
The financial guarantor is the statutory city of Brno, the
organisational project is provided by the South Moravian
Innovation Centre and the knowledge providers are the
following universities:
Contact: South Moravian Innovation Centre • Mgr. Jindřich Weiss
Czech Republic
15
− Brno University of Technology;
− University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Brno;
− Masaryk University, Czech Republic;
− Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry in
Brno.
Best practise
The INVEA-TECH Company became the first Czech
company to receive a subsidy through an innovation
voucher. Together with the University of Technology in
Brno, the company refreshed its product, the FlowMon
probe for monitoring high speed networks. Probes are now
able to more effectively monitor traffic on 10Gbps networks
with guaranteed processing of each packet. The company
featured among the three most successful companies
in the world working with this technology. Thanks to an
innovation voucher the firm was also able to participate in
the contract for a major international client and establish
cooperation with Stanford University.
 R E G I O N A L I N N O VAT I O N A G E N C I E S
16
The initiative of setting up Regional Innovation Agencies was launched in 2003, aiming to create regional
structures facilitating and enhancing regional RDI performance in all the seven NUTS2 statistical regions of
Hungary.
Profitability
Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
The main aims of this scheme is to facilitate regional
cohesion; strengthen regions’ competitiveness by
supporting R&D and innovation projects; strengthen
firms’ competitiveness, especially that of SMEs operating
in regions; develop an innovation-friendly environment
in regions; strengthen regional innovation clusters, and
provide innovation services in regions, by establishing
Regional Innovation Agencies.
Regional Innovation Agencies are expected to facilitate
regional innovation processes, co-ordinate technological
innovation networks, provide innovation services and
integrate all these efforts and activities. This scheme provides
subsidies for the first 3 years of operation, although positive
impacts can only be felt in the medium- and long-term. The
first period of financing regional innovation agencies was
2005-2007 and the second period is 2008-2010. The overall
budget (for the period 2005-2007) was 8.400.000 Euro for 7
regions in Hungary – this funding was used to set up the 7
regional agencies.
Hungary
INNOVA Észak-Alföld Regional Innovation Agency is one of
the regional innovation agencies. INNOVA plays a key role
in the implementation of Észak-Alföld’s Regional Innovation
Strategy.
The agency was established by 6 key innovation players in
the Észak-Alföld region:
• Észak-Alföld Regional Development Council (http://
www.eszakalfold.hu)
• University of Debrecen (http://www. unideb.hu)
• College of Nyíregyháza (http://www. nyf.hu)
• College of Szolnok (http://www. szolf.hu)
• Northeast-Hungary Regional Development Plc.
(http://www. erf.hu)
• Hungarian Association for Innovation (http://www.
innovacio.hu)
The mission of INNOVA ­­– besides the implementation of
the Regional Innovation Strategy – is to become innovation
centre in the Észak-Alföld region operating in a networking
model and to achieve results which are recognised at a
national and international level.
More specifically, INNOVA formulated the following direct
objectives to be achieved in the region:
• to enhance innovation ability
• to spur market-oriented RDI cooperation
R E G I O N A L I N N O VAT I O N A G E N C I E S Hungary

17
• to develop an innovation supportive environment
• innovative human resource development
• project management

To achieve its mission and objectives the agency provides

the following innovation services:
• innovation, management and marketing
consultancy and training programmes
• strategic planning, resource coordination and
management of decentralised funds
• awareness raising, innovation surveys, foresight and
analysis
• coordination of international projects, project
generation and partner search

Results
Impacts will be measured in 2010.

Contact: INNOVA Észak-Alföld Regional Innovation Agency • http://www.innova.eszak-alfold.hu

 PRO INNO Europe® EU

18

PRO INNO Europe® is part of the overall policy coordination with the Member States in the field of innovation,
which is also facilitated by the Group of Senior Officials on innovation policy. Furthermore, close relations between
PRO INNO Europe® and the Innovating Regions in Europe (IRE) network will be established. Whereas PRO INNO
Europe® will concentrate on the overall analysis of innovation performance and innovation policies and provide
a learning platform for trans-national co-operation, the IRE network will be used as the main communication
channel with European regions on innovation policy matters.

Profitability Scoreboard, and the series of innovation policy studies in a

Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
PRO INNO Europe® is an innovation policy initiative of the
Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry that intends
to become the focal point of innovation policy analysis
and development throughout Europe. The initiative unites
the previously separate PAXIS initiative, the TrendChart on
Innovation in Europe, including the European Innovation
common framework. Existing policy analysis and benchmarking
activities are integrated with new incentives for trans-national
cooperation, innovation actions and policy learning methods.
Furthermore, a close liaison between PRO INNO Europe®
and the Europe INNOVA initiative is ensured, for example
through the Europe INNOVA Forum, which brings together
in a virtual manner relevant sectoral innovation projects and
policy initiatives, as well as through the bi-annual Europe
INNOVA Conference. The idea is that the lessons learned
from the Europe INNOVA projects shall be used as further
input into the development of new innovation policies and
strategies, as promoted by the INNO-Learning Platform.
PRO INNO Europe® was implemented in two stages,
beginning in July 2006. In the first stage in mid-2006 four
modules: INNO-Learning Platform, INNO-Nets, INNO-
Actions and INNO-GRIPS were launched.

The INNO-Metrics, INNO-Policy TrendChart, INNO-Appraisal

and INNO-Views modules were launched during the second
stage of the implementation of PRO INNO Europe®; over time
the initiative became fully operational in early 2007.

The initiative primarily drew on funds from FP6 and, as of

2007, from the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework
PRO INNO Europe® EU

19

Innovation Policy Advisory Board

(ex-GSO)
INNO-Learning Steering Group
(INNO-LSG)

Policy Analiysis Policy Cooperation

INNO - Metrics INNO - Nets

INNO - Policy TrendChart INNO-Actions

INNO - Appraisal INNO-Learning Platform

INNO - GRIPS

INNO - Wiews

source: http://www.proinno-europe.eu

Programme. The implementation of most modules is based on
a call for proposals launched through a Specific Support Action
of FP6. The INNO-Learning Platform, INNO-Nets, INNO-Actions
and INNO-GRIPS are based on the INNOV-9 call for proposals.
PRO-INNO Europe® is based on two pillars accommodating
a total of eight modules. Each of these follows a specific key
aim of the initiative, as shown in the chart below. Although
these actions are different in nature, they form part of a
wider integrated policy approach intended to develop
new and better innovation policies based on sound policy
analysis and reliable statistics. This will prepare the ground
for innovation actions covering the whole range of policy
aspects and involving a multitude of different actors.

Contact:
use the online form at http://www.proinno-europe.eu/contact
Website: http://www.proinno-europe.eu/
 YO U N G R E S E A RC H E R S I N T H E E CO N O M Y
20
Young researchers in the economy is an initiative to introduce more highly-educated staff in private companies
and to stimulate companies to hire young graduates to enhance their R&D and innovation activities and thus to
overcome the existing gap between research organizations and industry.
Profitability
Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
The service is mainly financially-oriented, providing co-
financing for salaries and some materials costs, for a young
researcher, who is employed in a company while pursuing
a PhD at the university. Through this support the young
researcher engages in research work with mentorship both
by the company and university.
Previously managed by the Ministry of Higher Education,
Science and Technology, the program is now run by the
Public Agency for Technology of the Republic of Slovenia
(TIA) in the 2007-2013 financial cycle, and is co-financed by
the European Social Fund. Beneficiaries are enterprises and
technology centres − as employers of young researchers
− and research organizations and universities as providers
of formal education. Together they agree on a young
researcher’s research programme.
Project proposals are ranked according to the following
criteria: suitability of a young researcher; suitability of the
mentors; suitability of a proposer (company); suitability of a
research group (whether the company’s own − if it has one
Slovenia
− or an outsourced group); the training programme. The
criteria for eligibility for students are that they must have
finished under-graduate study and be 35 years or under (for
students with a master’s degree, 38 years).
In the period between 2001 and 2006, when the Ministry
was managing the Young Researchers in the Economy,
support was awarded to 233 young researchers. So far 144
young researchers have already obtained a PhD or master’s
degree. 90 of them have continued their employment in
the economic sector (78 in the same company as when
they were young researchers), 8 of them have found a job
in a public institute, and the others are engaged in further
studies or there is no data available.
The experience from this period also suggests that there
is competition among the companies for good graduates.
Links between participating enterprises and research
organisations have been established, offering more
opportunities for technology and knowledge transfer.
YO U N G R E S E A RC H E R S I N T H E E CO N O M Y Slovenia

21
Number of young researchers in the economy (approved project proposals) according to scientific field (2001-2006):

Science field / Year 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Natural Sciences and Mathematics 5 6 4 6 9 8
Engineering 16 12 18 23 36 35
Medicine 2 2 - - 3 3
Biotechnology 4 3 3 3 2 5
Social Sciences 5 1 1 3 4 2
Humanities 1 - - - 1 1
Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary - 1 2 - 1 2
research
Total: 33 25 28 35 56 56

Contact:
Dr. Janez Marko Slabe • Public Agency for Technology of the Republic of Slovenia • http://www.tia.si
janezmarko.slabe@tia.si • Tel: +386 590 89 500

Mateja Nemanič • Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology • http://www.mvzt.gov.si

mateja.nemanic1@gov.si • Tel: +386 1 478 4793
 BROKERAGE EVENTS
22
A brokerage event is an advanced tool dedicated to setting up new partnerships and launching new
collaborative project proposals. It is a way of strengthening the cooperation between industries and
research units and giving organizations a simple, direct and accessible way to find partners all around
Czech Republic and Europe.
Profitability
Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
The purpose of the brokerage event is to enhance
opportunities for companies to explore and find cooperation.
Another aim is to assist enterprises, universities and research
institutions in finding partners for product development,
manufacturing, licensing agreements, joint ventures or
other types of partnership. A wide range of opportunities
is available as all types of collaboration sought are offered;
Czech Republic
(Research & Development, Technical Co-operation, Joint
Venture Agreements, Manufacturing Agreements, Licence
Agreements, Commercial Agreements, etc.).
The events also create the opportunity to transfer the
experience, expertise and contacts between successful
Project coordinators from the Czech Republic and the EU to
potential partners, who will have the chance to realize their
ideas and scientific potential.
The preparation of each event takes several months, but
the event itself lasts two days, including plenary sessions,
parallel workshops on specific areas and facilities for bilateral
discussions. The brokerage event is an appropriate place for
the participants to present themselves, to show each other
their expertise and their collaborative project ideas.
How are the brokerage events organized?
• On a website you have to register and then insert
a “profile” - in which you describe, briefly, what
your company/institute is doing and what you are
offering/looking for
• After the deadline for registration a “catalogue” will
be generated, containing offers and requests from
registered subjects
• After the deadline you are encouraged to visit
the catalogue and select offers/requests you are
BROKERAGE EVENTS Czech Republic

23
interested in. The same will be done by other
participants. In this way you will actually create a
meetings schedule
• Each event has a focus on one or more business
sectors, and usually over a 2 day period the
participating businesses meet during pre-arranged
30 minute appointments to establish contacts,
gain information on their respective market places,
negotiate deals and much more...
Companies and research laboratories are given the
opportunity to participate in a brokerage event based on
one-to-one confidential meetings between technology
developers and users in order to foster technical cooperation.
The brokerage event is also a chance to deepen the contacts
made during conferences, workshops and round tables.
Brokerage events, including those organized by Enterprise
Europe Network, are well appreciated by European
companies. It is a good way to meet several potential
partners in a short time.

Contact: Enterprise Europe Network CR • Daniela Váchová

 I N C U B AT O R H O U S E F O R T H E F U T U R E ! Hungary

24
This project gives an opportunity to the region’s start-up innovative enterprises which do not have their own
technical and communicational equipment or do not have experience in business life at present. The project is
designed to accelerate the successful development of start-up small and medium-sized enterprises in the region
through an array of business support resources and services. The incubator house also offers services for foreign
enterprises that want to invest in the region and need adequate background information about local business
possibilities.

Profitability The services provided by the project are the following:

Initial resources for setting up the service • help with business basics
Independence • networking activities
Soft factors • marketing assistance
Hard factors • high-speed internet access
• support with accounting/financial management
The mission of the initiative is to increase the likelihood that • links to higher education resources
a start-up company will stay in business for the long term. • links to strategic partners
The main objective was to establish a business incubator • comprehensive business training programs
house which can offer complex innovation advisory and • advisory services
support services for start-up SMEs which are interested in • IP management
the field of information technology and the software in- • technology commercialization assistance
dustry, renewable energy sources and the plastic/metal
The total budget of the project is 1,8 million Euros.
industry. The project also supports the creation of an SME
network to enhance the diffusion of relevant information
and knowledge.
I N C U B AT O R H O U S E F O R T H E F U T U R E ! Hungary

25

3D design of the incubator house in Kecskemét

Contact: Sándor Lakó PhD, project manager • Tel: +36 30 4635320 • lako.sandor@aranyhomok.hu
 RESEARCH BY COMMERCIAL, TECHNOLOGICAL
A N D S C I E N T I F I C PA R T N E R S Italy

26
The service is supplied by SIMPLER - Support Services to Improve the innovation and competitiveness of
businesses in the Lombardia and Emilia-Romagna Regions: a consortium that has been operating within the
Enterprise Europe Network since 1st January 2008.

Profitability − R&D Partners: to find partners for research and

Initial resources for setting up the service development projects, either by publicising their own
Independence partner search or helping them to join an existing
Soft factors project consortium.
Hard factors
EUROPEAN INFORMATION
PARTNERING: helping clients to identify commercial,
Acting as a first point of enquiry for businesses to provide
technology or research and development partners across
information on European legislation, policies, funding and
Italy and Europe. In particular:
market opportunities.
− Commercial Partners: to identify suitable partners
SIMPLER can help organisations become more competitive
(agents, distributors, suppliers) in other European
by keeping them up-to-date with information on:
countries;
• Public contracts and tenders
− Technology Partners: to promote clients’ innovative
• European markets
products and technologies to prospective partners,
• EU policy affecting different sectors
licensees and customers. The client can: promote his/
• EU legislation and the regulatory framework
her own technology: a Technology Offer profile will
• Innovation and research & development (R&D),
be drafted which will be published on the Enterprise
including the EU Framework Programme (FP7)
Europe Network database and disseminated across
• Protecting intellectual property in Europe
Europe; search for technology: to help clients to source
• European funding opportunities and business
specific products, technologies or expertise through an
support
extensive network of contacts. A Technology Request
will be drafted for circulation around Europe.
EU R&D OPPORTUNITIES
For both Offers and Requests, the profiles are published
Assisting the company and the researcher to tap into EU
anonymously and the identity and contact details are
funding for research and development, particularly the
not released to third parties without the client’s prior
Framework Programme and other European programmes.
approval.
Through a range of information and partnering services
SIMPLER can support regional organisations, particularly
RESEARCH BY COMMERCIAL, TECHNOLOGICAL
A N D S C I E N T I F I C PA R T N E R S Italy

SMEs, to take advantage of the opportunities that EU
funded collaborative R&D can bring. SIMPLER can help
organisations to understand what type of funding is
available and how to access it, as well as assisting them
in finding the partners they need to develop their project
consortium.
27
The services are free and are supplied in accordance with
the needs of the enterprise and the research system, and
are specific for different economic sectors. The purpose
of the partner research is to develop trade, business or
technological co-operation between SMEs and research
organisations across Europe.

Contact:
Aster - Science Technology Business
Staff SIMPLER
simpler@aster.it • http://www.aster.it/simpler.html
 T H E E N T E R P R I S E E - S E R V I C E S P O R TA L
28
The Enterprise e-Services Portal is an interactive website intended to provide stakeholders with a secure central
point of access to all Enterprise and Industry-related e-services, including (currently):
• specific web applications;
• subscription to events, seminars and conferences;
• subscription to publications (i.e. magazines, newsletters, etc.).
Profitability
Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
Stakeholders include national and regional authorities
and their representations in Brussels, other EU institutions,
business organisations at European, national and regional
levels, individual companies, research associations,
universities, non-governmental organisations, press
agencies., etc. Access to the portal is controlled by a
registration procedure whereby visitors are granted a
personal password. Using this password, registered visitors
are then able to request access to the specific applications
that they need to use on the portal, and to manage their
profiles.
This website is developed and managed by the European
Commission’s Directorate General for Enterprise and
Industry. It aims to disseminate information on all EU
policies, actions and initiatives promoting economic
growth and development, with a view to strengthening the
competitiveness of EU enterprises.
EU
The service/site offers:
• an up-to-date coverage of EU enterprise policies
• specific pages covering the industry sectors
• news, events, speeches
• electronic publications
• EU business statistics and benchmarking
• open consultations and forums.
• multimedia content : videos as well as recordings of
web streamed events
The aim is to provide European entrepreneurs and other
interested visitors (or parties) with the information they are
looking for in their own language or in a language they can
understand.
Official documents are available in at least the languages
which were official at the date of publication. Other
documents, of a non-legally binding nature, are frequently
published in English, French and German. General
information on the homepage, and in most sections
immediately accessible from the homepage, is available in
all official languages. Information immediately accessible
from the industry sector and policy home pages is
generally available in at least three languages: English,
French and German. Specific information campaigns,
targeted to all EU entrepreneurs and particularly to SMEs,
T H E E N T E R P R I S E E - S E R V I C E S P O R TA L EU

29

are launched in all EU official languages. Specialised

information in the deep levels of the website is generally
available only in English.

The use of the portal is free of charge; however users have to

register to get access to information. Applications available
via the portal include the following services:
• NOISE (conformity submission): Using this
application, manufacturers or their representatives
can send their Declarations of Conformity with the
NOISE directive electronically.
• NOISE (equipment subject to noise limits): A public
database for consultation of equipment subject to
noise limits. to notify, via a secure link and through a single
• OSN: One Stop Notification (OSN) is a web based procedure, their intention to place products on the
tool, allowing manufacturers of radio equipment market of Member States.

Source of information/website:
https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/enterprise-portal/

Contact:
European Commission Enterprise and Industry DG • Communication and Information Unit R4
BREY 13/092 • B - 1049 Brussels (Belgium)
 THE BEST RESEARCHER COMPETITION Slovenia

30
The purpose of the competition is to support and stimulate researchers at the University of Maribor
to cooperate closely with companies. The unique characteristic of the competition is that the best
researcher is chosen only by companies which collaborate with the University on R&D.

Profitability
Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors

The TechnoCenter, the technology transfer office at

the University of Maribor, introduced the competition
in 2006 and has been implementing it ever since. The
procedure is the following: a public call is issued to all
companies which collaborate with the University on
R&D to award points to the researcher or researchers
whom they work with. Researchers are graded, based
on various criteria, which differ from year to year. For
example: the availability of the researcher; the quality
of problem solving: the innovativeness of solutions;
respect for intellectual property and business secrecy;
the researcher’s initiative; the quality of communication;
the company’s increased profitability; the integration of
the researcher in the company’s business; opportunities
for future collaboration; the general impression created
by the researcher.
Each point is worth a certain amount of money and a
prize fund is created from companies’ donations, and is
then awarded to the researcher with the most points. The
winner is announced at the Meeting of Researchers and
Entrepreneurs and presented to the media. Along with the
best researcher, companies which grade researchers are
promoted.
The unique and innovative feature of the competition is
that only the opinion of the companies counts. Research
achievements as evaluated by the University’s habilitation
criteria carry a small weight only when two or more
researchers share first place.
THE BEST RESEARCHER COMPETITION Slovenia

31
Funds raised in the first three years of the competition
vary from 3,700 EUR to 8,000 EUR, which is a considerable
financial stimulus for the researcher and his/her work,
but the most important aspect is to motivate researchers
through competition to strengthen collaboration with the
economic sector and to pursue the university’s strategy to
become more involved in regional development.

On the other hand, by taking part in the competition and

grading the researchers the companies promote their
readiness for joint projects and knowledge transfer with
the University. In addition, the companies are promoted
in various publications and e-materials as good partners of
the University.

Contact:
Anton Habjanič, Ph.D • TechnoCenter at the University of Maribor
http://www.tehnocenter.uni-mb.si
Tel: +386 2 235 53 65 • anton.habjanic@uni-mb.si
 T H E “ PÁ Z M Á NY P É T E R ” P R O G R A M : R E G I O N A L
K N O W L E D G E C E N T R E S AT U N I V E R S I T I E S Hungary

32
Regional Knowledge Centres foster the creation of research and technological innovation centres at universities.
The Knowledge Centres are intended to co-operate closely with businesses and accelerate the given region’s
technological and economic development, thus enhancing competitiveness both at a regional and national level.

Profitability • to facilitate the commercialization of inventions,

Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
The Regional Knowledge Centre projects are supported
financially by the National Office for Research and
Technology (the Hungarian government’s grant
management organization) and implemented through a
consortium. Universities and state-financed, non-profit or
other research organizations, and companies located within
60 kms of the university can apply jointly. The consortium
is headed by a university, and industrial partners must be
involved in the project. There is no limit on the number of
partners involved.
The activity of the Knowledge Centres is based on research
and development including basic research, applied
research and experimental development with a well-
defined professional focus.
Objectives
• to carry on internationally competitive, well-focused
and application oriented research and development
in a consortium
patents and other research results
• to build a modern R&D infrastructure and provide
companies with R&D services
• to involve PhD students and young scientists in R&D
activities
• to extend international R&D cooperation
• to foster collaboration between research institutes,
enterprises and industrial actors
• to increase the number of new start-up and spin-off
companies and incubation centres
• to upgrade innovation related skills and diffuse new
technologies among enterprises
• to ensure that future skills meet the innovation
needs of enterprises and facilitate the access of
enterprises to skilled and professional research
personnel
Results
Altogether 19 Regional Knowledge Centres have been
established in Hungary in the last five years, and these have
been conducting internationally competitive, application-
oriented research projects. The significant innovation
activities and collaboration with industrial partners have
caused scientific and economic benefits for all participants,
especially for the region. Employment has increased, and
T H E “ PÁ Z M Á NY P É T E R ” P R O G R A M : R E G I O N A L
K N O W L E D G E C E N T R E S AT U N I V E R S I T I E S
university and PhD students have been involved in research
and development. An innovation-led, business-oriented
approach has developed in higher education.
Major sectors affected: automotive industry, info-bionics,
genomics, neurobiology, mechatronics, information
technology, nanotechnology, the pharmaceutical industry,
food safety, energy industry, e-science.
Good Practice – Genomnanotech Regional Knowledge
Centre (GND RKC)
The GND RKC project was launched in 2004 and ended
in 2009. The University of Debrecen and 16 contributing
industrial partners executed a complex research program
through a consortium, using a subsidy of 6 million EUR
with a contribution of 3.5 million EUR of their own financial
resources. The GND RKC had four scientific subprograms
and a technology transfer program. The four scientific
programs dealt with the following:
1. New approaches to the diagnosis and therapy of
metabolic syndromes covering the highest morbidity
diseases: from genomics to clinical applications.
2. Foundation of a competitive agro-biotechnology
industry in the environs of the University of Debrecen: a
Contact:
Genomnanotech Regional Knowledge Centre
E-mail: gnd@med.unideb.hu • Website: http://detti.unideb.hu
Hungary
33
partnership stretching from genomics to production.
3. Industrial level development of drug candidates and
functional foods and safety pharmacology services.
4. Biomedical measurement methods and nanotech-
nology.
The project achieved its two main goals: it launched
translational R&D activities focusing on developments
that are considered to have major significance in the
environment of the University of Debrecen and exercise a
major influence at the regional and national level, and it set
up the basis for technology transfer in the region. The R&D
activity in this project resulted in 22 patent applications and
the development of more than 100 new technologies. A
new industrial culture and a significant number of jobs have
been created and the University of Debrecen has become
a key player in the region with respect to life sciences and
related interdisciplinary research. The industrial partners
of the University of Debrecen underwent a dynamic
development during the project: the average net income
growth per company had been 22 % before starting the
project, and climbed to 55 % between 2005 and 2008. The
number of employees increased annually by an average of
15 % per company.
 T E C H N O L O G Y T R A N S F E R D AY
34
A Technology Transfer Day (TTDay) consists of a series of pre-arranged bilateral meetings organized at a single
venue for SMEs working in the particular field examined during the event.
Profitability
Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
In pre-arranged bilateral meetings, participants have
the opportunity to explore the possibility of future
collaborations, such as licensing agreements, development
cooperation, joint ventures, commercial agreements with
technical assistance or manufacturing agreements.
TTDays can be organized not only as stand alone events, but
also at exhibitions and conferences: these events can bring
Italy
an added value for companies; they can organize extra
meetings and start co-operation with other participants at
the event.
The event involves not only companies, multi-nationals with
or without R&D functions, and SMEs, but also public and
private R&D institutions and universities. The technology
transfer days are particularly focused on public and private
organisations which offer and/or demand advanced and
innovative processes and technologies.
The TTDay can be introduced by a scientific seminar, during
which innovative technology profiles can be presented and
the participants have the opportunity to discuss the issues
raised.
Results
The most important element of the Technology Transfer
Day is the technology profiles catalogue. This document
can be produced in paper format but also as an online
catalogue, and enables the meetings to be scheduled
effectively.
Registered participants can enter their technologies
and/or their cooperation requirements in the catalogue,
and anyone identifying interesting contacts to meet in
the catalogue can request a one-to-one meeting.
T E C H N O L O G Y T R A N S F E R D AY Italy

One of the aims of the Technology Transfer Days is to initiate
future collaboration and to promote the transfer of know-
how between the suppliers and users of technology who
attend the events.
35
TTDays are organized following an established format
that has demonstrated success on many occasions
at national and international level, and that could be
taught for transfer.

Contact: Centuria RIT • Pari Chiara • c.pari@centuria-rit.com

 CLUSTERS
36
Clusters are seen as an important tool for the development of competitive economies and innovation.
They are defined as “a network of interconnected firms, institutions of knowledge production,
supporting institutions (e.g., centres for technology transfer, science parks etc.) and customers
connected in the production chain which creates added value.”
Profitability
Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
A clustered environment can be likened to a system in
which change is managed and in which this change
is implemented on the basis of synergy, critical mass,
consensus and motivated cooperation. The cluster
approach allows a recognizing and strengthening of the
infrastructure supporting businesses in a way that current
intervention in economic development fails to achieve. It
is understood as a holistic view of the core categories that
affect economic competitiveness, which are education,
research, development and innovation, the promotion of
entrepreneurship, investment, industrial property, and the
development of supply chains, and it also encompasses
social inclusion and sustainable development. These
systemic functional abilities predispose cluster
environments to become a strategic tool for increasing
competitiveness.
General contributions of clusters:
• They create conditions that allow innovation to be
stimulated, including more efficient use of research
Czech Republic
and development. This contributes to growth and
a return on investment in public sector institutions
such as a tertiary education and research institutes.
• They improve the performance of individual
businesses and create conditions for the emergence
of new businesses that increase innovation and
accelerate the process of the restructuring and
diversification of industry.
• They attract more and higher quality inward
investment, which may include research and
development.
• Strong clusters generate an environment in which
there are specialized skills, knowledge, research and
development, know-how and qualified contractors
who may be attractive to investors.
• They function as new sources of regional or
local benefits, and put into motion a process of
cumulative growth and development through the
creation of critical mass and the external economies
arising from it.
• They offer a comprehensive strategic agenda and
framework for the integration and formation of
policy that avoids duplication and overlap.
Around the world there are a number of clusters making
use of local characteristics in global competition. The best
known is probably Silicon Valley in the USA. The formation
CLUSTERS Czech Republic

and development of clusters offer different ways to
support regional development agencies (in the U.S. due
to offshoring in the EU due to the lag in innovation, and
in Africa helping with industrialization). The Czech Republic
supports the cluster development of the Ministry of
Industry and Trade, CzechInvest and the implementation, in
2007 - 2013 of the Operational Program for Enterprise and
Innovation. Active support of cluster initiatives has already
existed in the Czech Republic for several years. The aim of
37
this support is to use cooperative groupings as tools for the
creation of innovations and the improvement of the Czech
economy’s competitiveness. If is the company is at the
stage of identifying or finding suitable companies to cluster
with and is looking for suitable partners they would like to
contact, if a university or region would like to participate in
one of the cluster initiatives in their region, if they wish to
provide details regarding their needs and the services they
offer, they should contact the address below:

Contact:
Czechinvest - Investment and Business Development Agency
klastry@czechinvest.org
 I N N O VAT I O N E U R O P E EU

38

Innovation Europe is a web portal providing a global platform for Europe’s most innovative companies, products,
research and applications and highlights delivery and successful exploitation of innovative ideas. The main
reason for the development of this portal is the fact that the key to growth in Europe is innovation.

Profitability to accelerate the innovation process and gain a global

Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
By promoting partnerships and co-operation within Europe,
Innovation Europe is driving improvements in knowledge
transfer and cross-border collaboration, and is helping to
bridge the gap between research and development.
Innovation Europe promotes an environment where
academia, research and business can collaborate in order
competitive advantage for Europe.
Innovation Europe is produced by Roxby Media Ltd. Roxby
Media is an international publishing company specializing
in business-to-business and professional publications
targeted at highly selective audiences in specific fields. For
organizations operating within these highly-specialized
fields, it has always been essential to reach and influence key
audiences selectively. Roxby Media has developed a unique
publishing service for such organizations, maximizing
the effectiveness of communications by controlling the
editorial environment in which they appear.

As can be seen from the screen-

shot, Innovation Europe offers
several services and products to
users:

Source:
http://www.innovationeu.org/
I N N O VAT I O N E U R O P E EU

39

These include up-to-date information on innovative
European countries. Users can find information on European
clusters which are seeking to improve and strengthen
their performance and innovativeness. Clusters are more
than mere user-producer linkages between industries.
They are drivers in today’s knowledge society comprising
networks of interdependent firms, knowledge-producing
institutions, intermediaries and related customers, all linked
through complex value-added chains. In recent years,
European and national policy measures have increasingly
targeted innovative industry clusters. A wealth of practical
experience on cluster management and development
has been accumulated and can be drawn on by clusters
in Europe. The information, which users can find free of
charge on this web portal is very useful and the site is easy
to navigate.

Website: http://www.innovationeu.org/

Contact:
Roxby Media Ltd • The Diary House
Rickett Street • London - SW6 RU1 • Phone: +44 (0)20 7386 6100 • Fax: +44 (0)20 7381 8890
E-mail: inbox@mar-media.com
 MICRO CREDIT PROGRAM Hungary

40
The program is managed by the Venture Finance Hungary Plc. and the Bács-Kiskun County Foundation for
Development of Enterprises. The aim is to develop micro enterprises that cannot be entirely, or sufficiently
financed with commercial banking methods, by improving their credit options. The main reason for this program
is that the small credit needs of micro enterprises are difficult for the banks to handle, and due to these problems
the relative transaction fees are too high, and enterprises would find it difficult to meet the bank's collateral
requirements.

Profitability the establishment of enterprises and by improving

Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
The Venture Finance Hungary Private Ltd. Company and
the Bács-Kiskun County Foundation for Development of
Enterprises signed a contract in 2008 in order to finance
micro credits for the micro enterprises of the region. The
program helped to ensure the necessary financial resources
and supporting constructions for the development of
the infrastructure and investments of the region’s micro
enterprises.
The goals of the credit products are the following:
• Financial services in order to manage the “incomplete
markets” arising from market failures.
• To give assistance to the target group in order to
ensure they can acquire and retain Hungarian and
European Union subsidies.
• Financial assistance for disadvantaged sections of
society in the fight against poverty by enhancing
the development of self-employment.
Beside the general goals mentioned above the program
provides financial expertise for enterprises which require
credit. This consultancy activity involves financial advice,
assistance in the credit process, mediation between
financial institutes and market actors, writing personalized
financial analyses, submission of tenders and competitions
and organizing workshops and conferences to bring
together all the parties concerned.
The targeted micro-credit applicant:
• micro enterprises
• turnover not in excess of 715 000 Euros (or a new
enterprise)
• its activity does not fall under de minimis restrictions
• has not so far been able to get into the bank credit
loop
• has well-conceived and promising business plans
• already possesses at least 20% of the planned
developmental resources
MICRO CREDIT PROGRAM Hungary

41

The concrete results of 2009:

Requests received 145 000 Euros
Requests accepted 140 000 Euros
Granted credit 152 000 Euros
Average credit 20 000 Euros

Contact:
Péter Csonka PhD • Bács-Kiskun County Foundation for Development of Enterprises
www.bacs-lea.hu • csonka@bacs-lea.hu • +36-76-485-585
 S TA R T: U P S LO V E N I A Slovenia

42
Start:up Slovenia is an all-Slovenian competition for start-up companies, which offers opportunities
for start-up companies to present themselves, compete with their business models, connect with
potential investors, and get professional support, financial rewards and publicity.

Profitability
Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors

The competition is organized by Venture Factory, a business

incubator at the University of Maribor. It aims to stimulate
the development of entrepreneurial activity in Slovenia and
to promote the importance of innovative entrepreneurship.
Although it is an annual event, the learning process runs
throughout the year. In this way the entrepreneurs are not
only better informed, more skilled and better prepared
for the final competition, but also more innovative and
competitive on the market. Project Start:up Slovenia
therefore includes:
• Start:up workshops, organized all around Slovenia
with the help of regional partners and focused on
business plan elaboration, funding options, talks
with entrepreneurs;
• Start:up schools, organized in university centres and
conducted by experienced professionals who have
faced the challenges of entrepreneurship and have
the proper know-how in the field;
• 100% Start:up forum, an all-day event packed with
useful information on start-up business models,
networking, and examples of good practices;
• the international conference on entrepreneurship
and innovation: PODIM.
The Start:up competition begins with the registration of
competitors – companies which have been operating less
than three years, which have not received any major venture
capital investment, whose founders are still the majority
owners and are not part of a bigger well established
company, and whose operations, products and services
are based on their own knowledge and development. All
applications are then evaluated by the expert jury based on
the judging criteria. The winner is declared at the end of the
international business conference PODIM, and is presented
S TA R T: U P S LO V E N I A Slovenia

with the honorary title “Slovenian Start-up of the Year” and
a grand prize.
All the services and events of Start:up Slovenia are free for
participants and competitors. At the last two competitions,
75 start-up companies entered the competition and 15
of them went to the finals; more than 2,000 participants
attended Start:up workshops, schools, forums and
43
conferences; both of the winning companies received
financial investment from a venture capital investor; the
winning companies also received the grand prize of 10,000
EUR, places in the CEED top class program, worth 5,000 EUR,
and increased visibility in public (at the last competition
there were more than 45 journalistic contributions in
different media).

Contact:
Urban Lapajne • Venture Factory (Tovarna podjemov)
http://www.tovarnapodjemov.org
+386 2 229 42 78 • urban.lapajne@tovarnapodjemov.org
 WE TECH OFF
44
We Tech Off extends the range and reach of I Tech Off, the first business incubator for the ICT sector developed
in Emilia-Romagna, to other sectors, enforcing it with strong cooperation, and sharing and improving the
contents, in particular in terms of internationalization, contacts with the market and networking with
existing enterprises.
Profitability
Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
Promoted by ASTER, the Consortium involving the Emilia-
Romagna Regional Government, 5 Universities, 3 National
Research Centres and the Entrepreneurial Associations of
the region, together with the collaboration of the Ministry
of Economic Development, the service is operative in the
Emilia Romagna Region from 2008 until 2012.
The development path of We Tech Off supports 60
entrepreneurial projects in the assessment phase of the
feasibility of the entrepreneurial idea (pre-incubation) and
40 enterprises in the starting phase of their business activity
(incubation).
The development path is structured in three phases: pre-
incubation, incubation and post-incubation, corresponding
to the different access conditions, services and aims of each
phase.
The pre-incubation phase lasts 5 months and is addressed
to those who are developing a business project and still
Italy
need to assess its feasibility. The incubation phase lasts
18 months, but can be extended for a further 6 months;
it is dedicated to neo-enterprises or to those close to
foundation.
The post-incubation phase lasts 12 months. It is aimed at
firms that have already completed the incubation phase
and offers a set of support services for business growth,
such as fund raising, personnel search and networking
activities.
Analysis
To have access to the service, it is necessary to follow the
guidelines given for the presentation of a business project.
The call for proposals opened in 2008, on September 5th,
and will close in December 2011.
The purpose of We Tech Off is to promote entrepreneurship
culture, sustaining projects with strong innovative
characteristics. The business idea must be based on the
contribution of original scientific and/or technological
know-how, and provide for the application or the utilization
of a technology.
The actions designed to support the creation of new
companies create benefits for the territory, in terms of a
WE TECH OFF Italy

45

technological boost and also in the improvement of the

competitiveness of the regional economy. These activities
also assure a direct increase in the employment levels in the
sectors of the various enterprises supported.

I Tech Off and We Tech Off have supported the creation of a

significant number of business projects, the establishment
of start-up companies, created many jobs and contributed
to Emilia-Romagna’s GDP.
Innovation features mainly regard the development of
a well defined support path that has proven viability in
previous cases.
The transferable aspects include the organization model,
the service packages for each business development phase
and specific tools that have been developed to manage
support services, monitor enterprise progression, analyze
entrepreneurship spirit etc.

Contact:
Aster – Science Technology Business
Lucie Sanchez
lucie.sanchez@wetechoff.eu • http://www.wetechoff.eu/
 B U S I N E S S I N C U B AT O R S
46
Business incubators are programs designed to accelerate the successful development of entrepreneurial
companies through an array of business support resources and services, developed and orchestrated by incubator
management and offered both in the incubator and through its network of contacts.
Profitability
Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
The number of small and medium-sized innovative
enterprises is one of the criteria of the economic level of a
country. Starting a business is very difficult for small innovative
firms; however these firms often have a huge profit potential
and in the future they can create many new jobs and bring
other economic effects. Business incubators are founded to
support the establishment of innovative firms.
The business incubator is a facility (building), designed
for new firms to help them in the starting phase of their
entrepreneurial activity. It is space where advantageous
conditions exist for starting firms. These advantages include
for example low rent, a sharing of infrastructure, free services
or services at discounted prices. The enterprise can stay there
only for a limited period.
The business incubators offer support to entrepreneurs
through the so-called one-stop-shop and by sharing various
equipment. It can cause a decrease in the operating cost of
firms. The incubators also increase firms’ survival rate and
increase the growth possibilities of start-ups and small firms
in the early stage of their development. The incubators also
enable the transfer of ideas into commercial form, so they
Czech Republic
have been used as an instrument to support innovations
and technology transfer. Other tasks of incubators are to
contribute to increasing competitiveness and assistance
in the creation of spin-offs. The incubators often serve as
a catalyst for the commercialization of technology and
the results of research. Business incubators also facilitate
communication among incubated firms and so these firms
can consult about shared problems and can advise each
other. What is more, the range of products developed by
incubated firms may be complementary, e.g. firm A produces
hardware and firm B develops software for it.
Results
In the Czech Republic incubators have been operating since
the early 1990s and at present there are about 30 incubators.
Thanks to support from structural funds their number is
continually increasing.
In the Czech Republic they are often part of a science
and technology park. Incubators can be established by
municipalities, regions, non-profit or interested organizations
and by private firms. The large number of founding bodies is
one of the reasons why there is no accurate list of incubators.
Only a minority of business incubators in the Czech Republic
are aimed at innovative firms. Most incubators serve all types
of firms.
Business incubators in the Czech Republic can be supported
from several resources. The most important is the PROSPERITY
programme which is a part of the Operative Programme
B U S I N E S S I N C U B AT O R S Czech Republic

47

for Enterprise and Innovation. The aims of the PROSPERITY support for industrial research, technological development
programme are infrastructure support to strengthen and innovation, and the improvement of the environment
research and development links to industry, infrastructure for technologically oriented companies.
 THE KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
O F F I C E AT T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F D E B R E C E N Hungary

48
The Knowledge and Technology Transfer Office at the University of Debrecen aims to facilitate the transfer of
research results achieved at higher education institutions into business and industry, as well as to spread
innovation culture among those working and studying at these institutions.

Profitability • Initiation of innovation training, extending

Initial resources for setting up the service innovation culture
Independence • Creating an international technology transfer
Soft factors network - adopting international good practices,
Hard factors cooperation with international research and
technology transfer institutes

UD TTO facilitates the application of R&D results and

Regulations for managing IP at University of Debrecen
technologies developed at the University of Debrecen.
According to the Intellectual Property Management
As a non-profit transfer organization, UD TTO plays a
Regulations the Technology Transfer Office of the University
mediator role between the university, companies and
of Debrecen is responsible for managing IP created at the
investors.
University.

Main activities:
Figure 1 shows the innovation management system of the
• Supporting innovative ideas and projects
University of Debrecen.
• Managing the knowledge map of the Észak-Alföld
Region
Achievements
• Developing and maintaining a network with R&D
• UD TTO prepared the knowledge map of the
enterprises in the region
University of Debrecen and as a result, a database
• Creating an online technology search service and an
was created with detailed information relating to
online-project monitoring system
210 research groups
• Full management of intellectual property
• A project evaluation system was developed to
• Supporting spin-off foundations
screen university projects
• Investment promotion in the R&D intensive sectors
• R&D agreements to be signed by the University have
of the region
to be reviewed by the TTO
• Licensing
THE KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
O F F I C E AT T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F D E B R E C E N Hungary

49
Figure 1:
Intellectual
Intellectual property management and project evaluation system at property
University of Debrecen
management
Reporting IP Project evaluation Patenting and exploitation and project
Continuous communication and cooperation with the researchers evaluation
system at the
Intellectual
product
Project University of
evaluation Project-monitoring
Debrecen

Spin-off

P
Project HU Licensing
Invention VRS/ Rector VRS/ C VRS/
registry Unit decision patent Rector Rector
disclosure T
forms R&D service
unit (as part of
the University)
y)

Unit: Relevant unit of the University Utilization with

VRS: Vice rector for strategic affairs i n du s tr ial
Notice
N otice of
of refusal
refusal partner
Explloitation and business incuba
b tion

1st day 4th week 7th week ~8-9th week 12th month 6-36th month

• Partnership agreements were signed between the • Licence negotiations have been started to utilize the
University and R&D&I companies University’s IP
• UD TTO manages 23 technologies and patent • A spin-off training programme has been organized
applications in 2010 in 2010 for graduate students interested in
• Nine spin-off companies have been founded in the entrepreneurship
past 5 years

Contact:
University of Debrecen Knowledge and Technology Transfer Office
E-mail: tto@unideb.hu • Website: http://detti.unideb.hu
 THE EUROPEAN INVESTMENT FUND EU

50

The European Investment Fund (EIF) was founded in 1994 as a joint venture between three shareholder groups:
the European Investment Bank (EIB) (62%), the European Commission (EC) (29%) and a number of European
financial institutions (30 from 17 countries, making up 9%). EIF’s main task then was to provide financial
institutions with infrastructure and guarantee instruments for SME finance.

Profitability (N/A) • guarantees and credit enhancement through

Initial resources for setting up the service securitisation, to financial institutions such as banks
Independence and guarantee institutions, to improve their lending
Soft factors capacity and the availability and terms of debt they
Hard factors can offer to beneficiary SMEs.

In June 2000, EIF was restructured and its shareholding
structure was modified with the EIB becoming the majority
shareholder, culminating in the formation of the EIB Group.
Since the 2000 restructuring, EIF has continued to provide
portfolio guarantees for institutions involved in SME
finance.
EIF is Europe’s leading developer of risk financing for
entrepreneurship and innovation. Uniquely for a European
body, EIF’s core objectives are to:
• earn an appropriate return for its shareholders,
through a commercial pricing policy and a balance
of fee and risk based income
• contribute to the pursuit of Community objectives
As a ‘Fund of Funds’, EIF indirectly (via local financial
institutions) supports small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) providing:  investors, particularly in the private sector.
• equity instruments through venture capital, growth
and lower mid-market funds and private equity,
to improve the availability of risk finance to high
growth and innovative SMEs.  market practice and corporate governance for the teams
EIF is active in the enlarged Europe which includes the 27
Member States of the European Union, EFTA and Candidate
Countries. Through its venture capital and private equity
interventions, EIF plays a crucial role in the creation and
development of high-growth and innovative SMEs by
facilitating access to equity for these companies across
the entire life cycle of corporate innovation. It does so by
investing in venture capital and mid-market funds, from the
very earliest stages of intellectual property development into
technology transfer, to more mature phases of development.
As one of the largest investors in European venture capital,
supporting both well-known and first time teams, EIF has
built a strong track record in the industry. Through this
reputation, while maintaining a highly selective process,
EIF takes significant minority stakes in funds which provides
a catalytic effect on commitments from a wide range of
The scale and scope of EIF investment, along with its
added value on fundraising, allows EIF to promote best
THE EUROPEAN INVESTMENT FUND EU

51
it chooses to support. As a result, EIF is recognized as a
leading financial institution in the European private equity
market. EIF cooperates with a wide range of financial
intermediaries such as banks, guarantee funds, mutual
guarantee institutions, micro credit providers, and public
and promotional banks.
EIF’s guarantee instruments consist of two main products
supporting access to finance for SMEs:
1. Credit Enhancement-Securitisation (guarantees for
securitised SME financing instruments) 
2. Guarantees/counter-guarantees for portfolios of
micro-credits, SME loans or leases (management of
programmes of the European Commission)

Website: http://www.eif.org/index.htm

generic/enquiry_form.htm.

Contact:
EIF headquarters
96, boulevard Konrad Adenauer • L-2968 Luxembourg
Tel.: +352 42 66 88 1 • Fax: +352 42 66 88 200 • http://www.eif.org/generic/enquiry_form.htm
 BUSINESS PLAN 1.4
52
Business plan 1.4 is a complete business plan software programme, which helps write and develop a business
plan. Moreover, it is a complete software package for business model planning, which helps improve and develop
the model in the future.
Profitability
Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
The tool was developed by the Venture Factory, a business
incubator at the University of Maribor, and is available as
a freeware programme in Slovenian and English. Business
plan 1.4 helps you write a comprehensive business plan
complete with text, tables with future predictions, financial
analyses, graphs and illustrations. The tool is very practically
orientated, has the function of a basic office writer program
and offers useful advice and information on how to plan a
successful business model. It is intended for start-up and
small and medium sized enterprises.
The tool is divided into four main sections: business
plan content, financial planning, useful tips about the
entrepreneurial idea and business plans in general and a
document section. Financial planning is the most important
feature of this software and offers the user the option to
make financial projections and to carry out all necessary
tasks relating to the financial side of a business plan. Since
Slovenia
the business plan is an ever-changing document, the user
can always change the input data and adapt the projections
to the current situation.
The tool has been used many times since the service was
launched and has more than 5,000 registered users. All
calculations are done by the programme, thus providing
major time savings for the user. Furthermore, the user has
a smaller chance of making mistakes in calculations or
forgetting to include an important piece of financial data.
The financial planning can be easily adapted to specific
business models and the predictions can be calculated
for different time periods and with different growth
factors. The program also enables the printing and saving
of all calculated data in different popular formats such as
PDF, DOC, or XLS. In these programs the user can further
change and modify the data, which means the program is
very adaptive and does not limit the use of input data. The
use of the program can help differently skilled users, from
total beginners to experts who have already written many
business plans before. By saving time, and providing better
quality business plans and presentations for entrepreneurs,
this tool has provided great savings and a better
competitiveness of the entrepreneurial environment.
BUSINESS PLAN 1.4 Slovenia

53
Financial planning, Cash flow statement

Contact:
Urban Lapajne. Venture Factory (Tovarna podjemov)
http://www.tovarnapodjemov.org
+386 2 229 42 78 • urban.lapajne@tovarnapodjemov.org
 F 1 R S T – F I N A N C I N G / F U N D S F O R I N N O VAT I O N ,
RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT Italy

54
F1RST is a service conceived by Aster in 2000 whose objective is to provide information examination and assistance
relative to the opportunities / incentive tools offered by facilitated forms of funding. Aster – Science Technology
Business is  the Consortium among the Emilia-Romagna Regional Government, five Universities, three National
Research Centres located in the region- ENEA, CNR, INFM - and the Entrepreneurial Associations of the region.

Profitability newsletters, and for saving news based on specific

Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
F1RST is an informative tool relating to EU, national and re-
gional financing funds (Emilia-Romagna) in the following
sectors: research and development; innovation and tech-
nology transfer; training and human resources and interna-
tional technological cooperation.
F1RST is intended for enterprises, universities, corporate re-
search bodies, technology transfer and training entities, en-
trepreneurial associations, scientific and technology parks,
local administrations, and banking institutes.
The service is provided through:
• the website: which permits a deepening of the op-
portunities for facilitated finance through illustrative
documentation.
• the newsletter: which provides a free weekly, cus-
tom designed bulletin - exclusively on issues of real
interest selected during the registration process.
• my F1RST: a personal page, for registered users, with
advanced functions for independent profile updat-
ing, for access to the archive of all previously issued
parameters.
• assistance and orienteering from the staff of F1RST.
Results
At the end of 2002, Aster decided to organize “Personaliza-
tion Activities” to finance the service: the service allows third
parties to provide their clients with customized information
about funding. The service is intended for industry associa-
tions, brokers, consulting firms, and training organizations
that wish to send to their members or users a free informa-
tive newsletter on loans for research and innovation. The
parties have to pay an initial fee.
“Personalization” allows users to present the whole of the
F1RST website with their own graphics and also allows
them to send personalized newsletters with information
about the site’s major functions:
• the F1RST website customized, in graphics, with all
available features
• a registration form to register users
• the personalized newsletter
• administration tools for the system
• the opportunity to enter information to be sent ex-
clusively to their users
• the choice of keywords to be made available to reg-
istered users
F 1 R S T – F I N A N C I N G / F U N D S F O R I N N O VAT I O N ,
RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT Italy

The web-services offered by F1RST, achieved the objec-
tive of becoming a point of reference for all regional (and
national) R&D and technology communities who are in-
terested in finding opportunities for funding and tenders
55
to finance innovative projects in their own specific sectors
of interest. The model has proved to be successful and has
become a benchmark and best practice case not only at
national, but also at EU level.

Contact: Aster Science Technology Business

Alessandra Borgatti, Antonio Renna • first@aster.it • http://first.aster.it/
 S O U T H G R E AT P L A I N R E G I O N A L I N N O VAT I O N A G E N C Y Hungary

56
The mission of the South Great Plain Regional Innovation Agency is to enforce the principle of sustainable
improvement while increasing the competitiveness of the region. RIA strives to improve the international
competitiveness of the region, and innovation and enterprise oriented improvements of the knowledge based
economy, and to connect and encourage cooperation between innovation-related organizations to improve the
economic appeal of the region.

Profitability • Encouraging financial investment in international

Initial resources for setting up the service programs
Independence • Organizing innovation-related training
Soft factors
Hard factors Long term objectives
• Assuring a critical mass of economically useful
At RIA the aim is to establish a professional coordinator
innovative outcomes which is sufficient for the
in the region and to create a well organized unity to
needs of investors and for long term sustainability
support and to fulfil the tasks of the Regional Innovative
• Establishing an optimal structure for pre-incubation,
Strategy in order to ensure successful cooperation
incubation and financial investors/start-ups, which
between those involved in research and development,
provides a well founded base for the functioning of
innovation, and industry, to improve the development
Universities, Research Institutes, industry developers,
of SMEs, and the transfer of technology; furthermore, to
clusters and science parks based on synergetic co-
make a profit from intellectual property and set up a well
operation
structured network for innovation members.
• Assuring the complete integration of innovation
management in the Pole Programme of the New
The tangible services of the agency are the following:
Hungary Development Plan
• Participating as coordinator and bridge company in
• Ensuring that innovation management keeps up-to-
the actuation of the Regional Innovation Institute
date with the best worldwide practice
and its networks
• Preparation for the development of a partner-
• Joining the Regional Innovation Strategy Plan
supporting integrated system
• Coordinating the innovation management activities,
technology-transfer and knowledge based activities
of enterprises
• Communicating with the innovation-related source
demand, and informing source actuator institutions
S O U T H G R E AT P L A I N R E G I O N A L I N N O VAT I O N A G E N C Y Hungary

57
Members of the agency Cooperative organizations:
1. Békés-County Foundation for Enterprise Promotion • University of Szeged
2. College of Kecskemét • Biological Research Center, Hungarian Academy of
3. Griffsoft Plc. Science
4. Biopolisz Ltd. • DARFÜ Regional Development Agency
5. Kőrös-Völgye Foundation • DEAK Regional Cooperation Research Center of Life
6. Duna-Tisza Regional Development Co. Ltd. and Material Sciences
7. Laser Consult Technological and Business Consulting
Ltd.
8. Titanium Ltd.
9. Tomori Pál College of Kalocsa
10. Lúdland Ltd.
11. Bács-Kiskun County Foundation for Enterprise
Promotion
12. Axiál Ltd.
13. Baja Public Port Ltd.

Contact:
István Molnár PhD. South Great Plain Regional Innovation Agency
www.darinno.hu • molnar.istvan@darinno.hu • +36 62 549 500
 T H E R & D I N F O R M AT I O N S Y S T E M Czech Republic

58
The R&D Information System is a public administration information system for the collection, processing,
publication and utilization of information about research and development, which has been supported by
public budgets.

Profitability
Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors

The R&D Information System administrator is the Research

and Development Council, and the System operator is the
Government Office of the Czech Republic. This system has
the following basic purposes:
− To support the R&D Council in preparing and
negotiating the state budget proposal for R&D
− To provide input data for R&D Efficiency Evaluation
− To disseminate information on:
• Calls
• Current research
• Past research along with results
The system started with the launch of the grant system in
1993. In the beginning it was a single data table of current
projects. With the completion of the first projects, the
problem of how to record past research had to be solved.
The R&D Information System has the following subsystems
(parts):
− State Funding Providers
− R&D Programmes, R&D IS of the Czech Republic
− Tenders in R&D
− Organizations Active in R&D
− R&D projects
− Institutional research plans
− Results: publications, patents, etc.
T H E R & D I N F O R M AT I O N S Y S T E M Czech Republic

59
Results
Data object Current number Increase per year Collected since
R&D projects 32 450 2 450
1994
R&D projects phases (year-based snapshots) 95 000 7 500
Institutional research plans 890 10
Institutional research plans (year-based snapshots) 4 700 300
1988
R&D results records (publications, patents, technologies) 550 000 20 000
Pure R&D results 420 000 50 000
Calls 400 30
Research organizations 4 600 400
Project coordinators 26 000 900
2000
Schemes 140 6
Tenders 429
State funding providers 25 0

Contact: R&D Council Czech Republic · rvv@vlada.cz

 T H E I N N O VAT I N G R E G I O N S I N E U R O P E ( I R E ) N E T W O R K EU

60

The Innovating Regions in Europe (IRE) network was created by the European Commission in the mid-1990s.
Its aim is to facilitate the exchange of experience and good practice among European regions, enhancing their
capacity to support innovation and competitiveness among regional firms through the development and
implementation of regional innovation strategies and schemes.

Profitability (N/A) Thematic Networks, which ran from 2001-2004.

Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
The IRE network currently brings together around 235
member regions from the 27 EU Member States, as well
as from Iceland, Israel, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey.
The regions are, in the majority of cases, represented in the
network by a regional authority or a regional development
agency.
The IRE network is open to all European regions that
are committed to developing their regional innovation
systems. Member regions are gathered in the IRE network
with the following mission statement: “Strengthening the
global competitiveness of European regions by promoting
innovation policies, and providing a unique platform for
regions to cooperate and learn from each other.”
Approximately 150 of the IRE member regions have
already developed regional innovation strategies, or are
currently implementing a RIS project, with support from
the European Commission. Representatives from additional
regions are partners in the current regional innovation
policy impact assessment and benchmarking projects, or
have participated in previous IRE projects such as the IRE
All European regions working to enhance their innovation
capacity, even those which have not been involved
in an IRE project, can apply for membership of the IRE
network. However the project financed by the European
Commission to provide the Secretariat services to the
members of the Innovating Regions in Europe (IRE) network
ended on 31 December 2008. The typical services included:
helpdesk, partner search, info-point or the organization
of study visits, which have not been available as of 1
January 2009. However the IRE Network will not stop its
activities. Currently the European Commission, the IRE
Steering Group and EURADA (the European Association of
Development Agencies) are working on a new formula to
continue the network activities without financial support
from the EC. The IRE website is still available as from the 1st
of January 2009.
On the website you can find useful documentation
covering the following categories:
• Network Events
• IRE Thematic Networks
• Trans-regional co-operation
• National networks
• Regional Innovation Strategy projects
• Trans-Regional Innovation Projects
• IRE working groups of regions
T H E I N N O VAT I N G R E G I O N S I N E U R O P E ( I R E ) N E T W O R K EU

61

• Mutual Learning Platform

• Regional innovation policy impact
assessment and benchmarking
projects
• IRE Award
• Support Actions to RIS-NAC processes
• IRE Steering Group
• Regions of Knowledge 2

It is possible to search library archives,

articles and other documents. A variety of
promotional materials has been developed
by the IRE Secretariat and by the European
Commission in order to inform decision
makers and the interested public about
the IRE Network. All these materials can be
downloaded from the IRE website.

Website: http://www.innovating-regions.org

Contact:
N/A (The IRE Secretariat services ended on the 31 December 2008!)
 PAT L I B C E N T R E - D E B R E C E N
62
Patlib centres provide users with local access to intellectual property information and related issues. Patlib
provides all information on intellectual property, access to the most important industrial property databases and
to the brochures issued by the Hungarian Patent Office.
Profitability
Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
Patent information centres located throughout the
Member States of the European Patent Convention
provide an opportunity for the public to consult
information on patents. There are currently more than
320 centres all over Europe.
PATLIB Centre at the University of Debrecen
On the initiative of the Hungarian Patent Office the Patlib
Centre, operating as part of the European patenting
system, established its regional office at the University
of Debrecen to promote its activities. Publications
featuring specialised knowledge and other information
are also available to University researchers and also
to innovation stakeholders (inventors, SMEs) in the
region. Patlib offers orientation in the fields of industrial
property rights protection and copyrights.
Hungary
The Patlib Centre offers free of charge consultancy to
SMEs or any enquirer from the region in the following
fields:
• elementary concepts and the main institutes
dealing with intellectual property protection
• intellectual property under industrial and copyright
protection
• types of intellectual property protection
• steps to be taken and conditions of patenting, utility
model protection, and design protection starting
from the idea itself
• acquisition and maintenance of trademarks, product
and company names, logos, slogans, flat or three-
dimensional shapes, colours, lights and sound
signals, security holograms
• conditions for obtaining protection abroad:
extending rights to the Member States of European
Union and the European Patent Convention
countries
• industrial property information sources, and use of
IP-databases
• the utilization of intellectual property and license
agreements
• intellectual property rights infringement cases, legal
consequences and legal remedies
PAT L I B C E N T R E - D E B R E C E N Hungary

63
Brochures: • Industrial property classification systems
• Information about certain forms of intellectual • ESPACE-PRECES - patent documents of Central and
property protection, invention disclosure forms, Eastern European countries
flowcharts • esp@cenet patent database - more than 70 countries
• Intellectual property protection for everyone – a and regions
guide for inventors • Community and international patent, trade mark
• Copyright law, royalties and design databases

Access to the most important industrial property
databases:
• PIPACS − Hungarian industrial property database (in
all the various formats)
• E-register − Hungarian pilot electronic patent register
The Patlib Centre was set up in 2006 and is jointly
operated by the Hungarian Patent Office and the
University of Debrecen Technology Transfer Office. There
are around 100 visitors per year asking for information
mainly in the field of patenting and trademarks.

Contact:
Patlib Centre – Debrecen
University of Debrecen Technology Transfer Office
E-mail: patlib@med.unideb.hu • Website: http://www.lib.unideb.hu/patlib
 I H AV E A N I D E A ! Slovenia

64
I have an idea! (Imam idejo!) is a web portal dealing with everything connected with creating innovations.
The portal is intended for all individuals seeking information about the process of innovation, innovative
companies, innovators and other information connected with the creation of innovations. Available on:
www.imamidejo.si.

Profitability Depending on which stage the user is currently at, the

Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
It is operated by the Public Agency of the Republic of
Slovenia for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments
(JAPTI), which started within the Slovenian Centre for
Competitiveness and Innovation (SCCI) special programme.
The portal guides innovative individuals with fresh ideas
through four different stages of the innovation process.
portal offers developing procedures to get to the next
stage and appropriate information regarding the process.
The first stage is the Idea, which is defined as the result
of an intellectual activity that shows potential for actual
implementation in some creative form. The second stage is
the Invention, which is a new idea, but already developed
into a composition, device or process. The third stage is
Potential Innovation. This is still an invention, but with clear
proof of its usability. The last stage is the Innovation, which
is an invention with a market value. During all these stages,

Picture: I have an idea! web portal’s front page

I H AV E A N I D E A ! Slovenia

65
the user is offered information on organizations offering - An Inventors’ Guide Book, which offers guidance
services in the technical, financial and legal area, information through the key activities involved in changing an
on how to find partners and most importantly information invention;
on the right steps at a particular stage. The steps consist - A list of innovators;
of the development strategy, learning material, marketing, - Examples of good practices, and a database of
intellectual property evaluation, the making of a business innovative projects;
plan, management of a project and information on where - The innovation guide;
to find the necessary capital or office space. - News, events, public calls;
- Interactive tools for writing a business plan;
All services on the portal are free and since October 2008, - The Innovation Management and IMProve
when it started operating, it has attracted many users. questionnaires;
Currently it has 174 service provider organizations, 34 - A special dictionary of words and expressions connected
offered innovations and 8 presentations from innovators. with the innovation environment;
Furthermore, the portal has resulted in the following - The option to send a question, which will be answered
benefits for the users: by an expert;
- Presenting the market for innovations and experts; - Different publications connected with the
- An Inventors’ Forum, which is a meeting place for all entrepreneurial world.
innovators;

Contact: JAPTI
Alenka Pahor-Žvanut
alenka.pahor-zvanut@japti.si • Tel: +386 1 530 98 29
 R 2 B D AY S : I N T E R N AT I O N A L E X P O F O R U M O N
I N D U S T R I A L I N N O VAT I O N Italy

66
R2B – Research to Business is the first international exhibition event in Italy aimed at fostering co-operation
between advanced research and industry on a national and international level.

Profitability R2B is the venue for the research system’s key players to
Initial resources for setting up the service present innovative technological solutions, research results,
Independence prototypes and applications, and market them towards
Soft factors the business sector, R&D managers and sponsors keen to
Hard factors support technology transfer processes.
R 2 B D AY S : I N T E R N AT I O N A L E X P O F O R U M O N
I N D U S T R I A L I N N O VAT I O N
Since 2005, the annual exhibition has hosted some of the
top Italian and foreign institutions and companies which,
besides displaying research results and prototypes, offer
highly qualified skills to potential far-sighted partners,
industry members and company managers.
The event consists of an exhibition area with national and
international research products, events and initiatives that
follow one another without interruption over 2 or 3 days of
intense work, featuring meetings, specialist workshops, new
businesses and young research talent, and international
guests, and also provide visibility in the media.
R2B Days address the current business sector needs for
growth and development, connecting companies to the
most important international research centers.
Results
R2B Days allow companies to introduce product innovations
and to acquire competitive technologies benefiting from
direct contact with the most advanced national and
international research experience.
Contact: Aster – Science Technology Business
Debora Facchini • comunicazione@aster.it • http://www.rtob.it
Italy
67
R2B Days plans to become a unique and defining annual
event, able to provide solutions for enterprises from
innovative research, from finance and from European
programs through a rich agenda of conferences, round
tables, forums and meetings. The event is intended
particularly for enterprises which, in the light of the current
market situation, need to renew products, productive
technologies and organizations and can do this by coming
into direct contact with the most advanced research
experience, both nationally and internationally. Operators
in the interested sectors, in particular owners of enterprises,
production managers, technical managers and those
responsible for R&D, can meet experienced researchers
and scientists to find answers to questions relating to the
improvement of their businesses.
R2B Days is innovative in its approach, promoting dialogue
and co-operation at a regional, national and international
level; it also allows the exchange and confrontation of ideas,
which is a basis for innovation.
 T H E R E G I O N A L C O O P E R AT I O N R E S E A R C H C E N T E R
O F L I F E A N D M AT E R I A L S C I E N C E S ( D E A K ) Hungary

68
DEAK, supported by 10 industrial partners and the Economic Competitiveness Operative Program, was established
in 2005 and embraces the knowledge base of three faculties of the University of Szeged. On the one hand, the
current research concentrates on material sciences including remediation and nanotechnological developments,
modelling of imaging technologies, exploration of novel energy sources and finding new solutions to waste
recycling. On the other hand research focuses on life sciences including cosmetological developments and
strategies aiming to delay the aging process.

Profitability achieved through mutual encouragement

Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
DEAK Plc. provides administrative and technology transfer
services and continues those regional knowledge-
centre projects which have been implemented by the
University of Szeged, the Biological Research Centre and
their industrial partners in the South Great Plain region
over the last few years.
The general objectives of the Centre are the following:
• to promote the development of a knowledge-
based society in the South-Great-Plain Region by
establishing and applying R&D results of a high
standard
• to establish a long-term cooperation by capitalizing
on the skills of talented researchers in life and
material sciences at the University of Szeged in
the field of applied research where the targets of
research, education and technology transfer can be
• to establish a knowledge-base to be able to cover
the whole process of innovation from the basic
research to the appliance of patents and which
will be able to align the activity of the University of
Szeged more closely with the real demands of the
economy by generating new projects in response to
industrial demands
DEAK as a project partner can participate in knowledge
utilization venture projects that aim to use the knowledge
available in Szeged. The firm also helps companies to
utilize efficiently their innovation tax allowances.
DEAK is a registered member of the international
European Association for the Transfer of Technologies
Innovation and Industrial Information organisation and
successfully takes part in cross-border cooperation with
partners in Romania.
T H E R E G I O N A L C O O P E R AT I O N R E S E A R C H C E N T E R
O F L I F E A N D M AT E R I A L S C I E N C E S ( D E A K ) Hungary

69

Contact:
Tamás Gyulai CEO • DEAK PLC.
Phone: +36 209 209 573 • E-mail: gyulai.tamas@deakszeged.hu
Website: http://www.deakszeged.hu
 e s p @ c e n e t – E U R O P E ’ S N E T W O R K O F PAT E N T D ATA B A S E S EU

70

The European Patent Office (EPO) provides a uniform application procedure for individual inventors and
companies seeking patent protection in up to 38 European countries. It is the executive arm of the European
Patent Organisation and is supervised by the Administrative Council.

Profitability (N/A)
Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
In October 1998, the European Patent Office (EPO) launched
esp@cenet, a network of free patent databases containing
millions of patent documents from Europe, Japan, the U.S.
and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Although the EPO was not the first patent office to make
patent data freely available on the Internet (the U.S. Patent
and Trademark Office (USPTO) was first in December 1994),
the creation of esp@cenet was a watershed event in the
history of patents. EPO revolutionized public access to
international patent information, releasing patent data from
its paper prison and changing forever the way patents are
disseminated, organized, searched, and retrieved. No longer
would inventors and entrepreneurs be forced to travel great
distances in order to study patents at specially designated
libraries. Students, librarians, and researchers were now
able to search international patents for free via esp@cenet
instead of using expensive commercial patent databases.

Figure 1:
esp@cenet structure
e s p @ c e n e t – E U R O P E ’ S N E T W O R K O F PAT E N T D ATA B A S E S EU

The EPO has continuously improved esp@cenet by adding
millions of patent and non-patent literature documents,
enhancing patent family and legal status information,
upgrading search and retrieval capabilities and expanding
online help and training materials.
The esp@cenet Europe’s network of patent Databases offers
more than 60 million patent documents – most of them
patent applications rather than granted patents – from
around the world. Patent applications normally represent
the first publication of a new idea, appearing before journal
articles are published or new products reach the market.
The structure of the esp@cenet service is best described
as a web of interconnected gateways and databases. (See
Figure 1)
As of 1 July 2006, the esp@cenet Worldwide database
contained bibliographic data for more than 59 million
patent documents from approximately 72 countries
and regional patent offices and more than one million
71
non-patent literature (NPL) documents (European Patent
Office). It is one of the largest organized collections of
technical literature on the Internet. Patent documents
available in esp@cenet include, among others, published
applications, translated applications, patents, reissued
patents, utility model applications, registered utility models,
and search reports. It also provides access to more than 40
million facsimiles images of full-text patent documents in
PDF format, patent legal status, and patent family data. The
smaller EP and WIPO databases contain applications (‘A’
documents) published in the most recent 24 months by
the EPO and WIPO, respectively.
This innovation service is extremely important because
patent literature is very useful for giving information
about technological trends and competition, and it is
standardized in the native language. The search options
regarding esp@cenet database provide this information
for free as well as the opportunity to download most of the
documents.

Website: http://www.espacenet.com

Contact:
Urad Republike Slovenije za intelektualno lastnino
Kotnikova 6, 1000 Ljubljana
info@uil-sipo.si
 T E C H N O L O G Y WAT C H Czech Republic

72
The ultimate goal of Technology Watch is to help companies make strategic decisions and thus improve
competitiveness and innovative capacity. Technology Watch is intended as a practice facilitating the innovation
process within companies and developing the potential of successful innovative business actions. The treatment,
analysis and validation of the information allow companies to make better decisions about the course of research
and development projects, investment and strategy design.

Profitability The focus of Technology Watch is to continually gather

Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
By using the Technology Watch Tool over the Internet,
Czech SMEs can have an easy and cost effective access
to information on a variety of issues and find answers to
complicated problems regardless of their geographical
location. Furthermore, the fast dissemination of the
technological information through this service enables
SMEs to keep pace with cutting edge technology.
and analyse strategic information about technology and
trends in technology. By locating and disseminating the
information that is considered relevant, we provide a
powerful tool to aid decision-making. Technology Watch
falls into the broader category of ‘Competitive Intelligence’,
which also covers strategic information about markets,
products, competitors, legislation, etc. For most businesses,
having strategic information on a global scale is a key
element in obtaining and maintaining an advantage over
their competitors.
Main focus:
o Facilitating the innovation process
o Easy and cost effective access to information
o Answers to technological questions and problems

Results
Supported by an expert team and covering a variety of
fields and technologies relevant for Plastics Value Chain
companies, there is a wide range of selective information
options:
- News references: Specific news items of interest to
the user
- Technological reports: Experts on specific
technologies can give customers further details on
request
T E C H N O L O G Y WAT C H Czech Republic

73
- Customised dossier: News items about the sectors
and technologies relevant to that user (with topics
selected at registration), and access to the full text of
reports published on the Web site
- Enquiries: To be used if specific information (e.g.
on technology, patents, quality) is needed over the
course of a company’s development activity
- Alerts: Customised, regular strategic information
relevant to the user’s activity

Contact: Enterprise Europe Network CR · Daniela Váchová

 B I O I N C U B AT O R C E N T R E AT T H E U N I V E R S I T Y
OF DEBRECEN
74
The main objective of the Bioincubator Centre at the University of Debrecen is to support young
innovative companies by providing access to a high value equipment park and laboratories, providing
innovation and technology transfer services and improving their management.
Profitability
Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
The establishment of the Bioincubator Centre was
supported by the National Office for Research and
Technology (the Hungarian government’s research
grant management organization).
The Bioincubator Centre was founded on three pillars:
• to provide a high value equipment park for the
incubated companies
• to offer preferential access to laboratory space
• to offer innovation-related and technology transfer
services.
In the light of the current demands of enterprises the
concept of “virtual incubation” has been introduced. In
this context biotechnological companies in their spin-
off or start-up life phases may also have preferential
access to innovation services even if they have not
moved physically to the Centre.
The following services are available for companies.
Hungary
General facilities
• Office and laboratory space
• Modern, fully equipped and air conditioned meeting
rooms
• Mail handling
• Cleaning services
• Proximity to the University and the city of Debrecen
Core research facilities:
• Biomolecular Interaction Laboratory
• Clinical Genomics Centre Core Facility
• Proteomics Core Facility
• Lipidomics Core Facility
• Laboratory Animal Core Facility
• HTS (High Throughput Screening) Laboratory
• Molecular Strain Development and Fermentation
Service Laboratory
• Analytical chemical service laboratory
Business support
• Business plan development
• Strategic advice
• Advice on fundraising and grants
• Information and access to business networks
• Opportunities to engage with other innovative
companies in the Észak-Alföld Region
B I O I N C U B AT O R C E N T R E AT T H E U N I V E R S I T Y
OF DEBRECEN Hungary

• Access to facilities, centres of excellence and
consultancies within the University of Debrecen
• IP consultancy (forms of IP protection)
• IP management (novelty search, patent filing)
• IT-related services (including website development)
• Legal consultancy and services (R&D contracts,
licence agreements, IP-related contracts)
75
The Bioincubator Centre has three tenants in 2010. These
young, innovative companies are actively involved in
research and development in the field of biotechnology.
Furthermore the centre has several virtually incubated
companies, which also benefit from the lab- and business
related services of the Centre.

Contact:
Bioincubator Centre – Debrecen
E-mail: bioinkub@med.unideb.hu • Website: http://bioinkubator.unideb.hu
 A B U S I N E S S P L A N T H AT AT T R A C T S I N V E S T O R S ! Slovenia

76
A business plan that attracts investors, is a seven-module workshop, intended for entrepreneurs who want to
write a good business plan and develop a business model with high potential in the process.

Profitability
Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors

The workshop is organized by Business Angels of Slovenia,

a venture capital investors club. This club represents the
link between ambitious entrepreneurs at the early stage
of a company’s growth, and the most successful Slovenian
business individuals. The whole investor process always
begins on the basis of an excellent and well presented
business plan. Therefore, when an entrepreneur has a
business idea, the next crucial step is to write a business
plan, which will transform this idea into a business model.
To write a business plan, the entrepreneur needs a great
deal of information, research and knowledge from different
business areas. Entrepreneurs at the beginning of their
careers often have particular problems with writing a good
business plan.
The workshop is prepared by experts in the specific field,
already established entrepreneurs and investors. It provides
all important elements needed for a successful final result
and, additionally, an opportunity for those participants who
show potential for an equity investment to present their
business model to investors. It consists of seven modules:
• Equity financing, foundations for a good business
and business planning basics;
• The methods and process of an effective business
analysis;
• A marketing plan, sales strategy and entry into for-
eign markets;
• Development, intellectual property, the entrepre-
neurial team, potential risks and time scheduling;
• Financial planning, projections and a standard eq-
uity financing clause;
• Executive summary and presentation in front of in-
vestors;
A B U S I N E S S P L A N T H AT AT T R A C T S I N V E S T O R S ! Slovenia

77
• Presentation tryouts and suggestions for improve-
ments.

The workshop extends over a one-month period. The

participation fee is 200 EUR, which includes individual
consulting on a specific business plan. It is conducted twice
per year and so far more than 60 entrepreneurs have used
the opportunity to write a successful business plan, 10 of
them have presented their business model to investors and
2 received equity capital.

At the end of the workshop, each business plan is

evaluated and all entrepreneurs have a chance to practise
their presentation in front of participants and lecturers.
In this way, the entrepreneurs receive valuable feedback
on the strong and weak points of their business plan or
presentation. The workshop offers a great opportunity for
a successful start for the business and a good start is often
the deciding factor that makes the difference between a
success story and a failure.

Contact: Blaž Kos

Business Angels of Slovenia
kos@poslovniangeli.si • Tel: +386 1 30 70 933
 TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT STUDY
IN THE EMILIA-ROMAGNA REGION
78
Foresight is a systematic and participative process which, through the involvement of experts and
members of the academic community, industry and policy-making, is intended to offer focused and
shared strategic perspectives to help guide policy-maker decisions towards the achievement of the
objectives concerned.
Profitability
Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
Three technology foresight studies have so far been
conducted by the Faber Foundation with the financial
support of the Regional Operational Program − Objective 3
ESF − Measure D.1, funded by Emilia-Romagna, the Ministry
of Labour and Social Policy and the European Union −
European Social Fund. The fundamental participants in
these foresight exercises are − and must be − industry
players and researchers from both private and public
research institutes.
The work plan of the foresight process can be summarize
in 6 main steps:
• Planning the project
• Methodology definition
• Development of the research context
• Interaction between and within firms and research
institutes
• Writing and editing of the final report
• Dissemination of the results
Italy
During the planning, it is essential to create a working
group, which will define objectives and the area of the
research. The interaction with the enterprises is a critical
phase, as without their active participation, the foresight
results will always appear to be an external, alien description
of potential future events, rather than the description of the
best path chosen by the enterprises themselves for a more
effective future. At the end of the process it is important
to publish the study and prepare a publication in order
to disseminate the results through live discussion and the
involvement of both those who contributed to its creation
and other stakeholders not involved up to that point.
Results
The main aims of the technology foresight are:
• to build a common vision regarding the expected
evolution of the technology, in order to enable firms
to become acquainted with these potential changes
and be prepared to face them and to adapt to new
developments in the best way possible.
• to evaluate the impact of the evolution of the
technology on the firm’s activity and organization
of production and to create a strategic vision for the
priorities required
TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT STUDY IN
THE EMILIA-ROMAGNA REGION Italy

• to identify the new skill profiles required by the
predicted technology trends, and to plan the
necessary training plans, or the attraction of
qualified human resources from other areas of the
country/world
• to select the necessary strategies and behaviours
which will enable the firm to face changes and to
“surf” on them, obtaining the maximum advantage
from them
• to create cooperation between participants through
the definition of common paths along which
various regional actors (enterprises, researchers,
centres supporting the regional economy) will work
together for a common goal.
79
The three sectoral technology foresight exercises
conducted by Faber in the Emilia-Romagna concerned the
following sectors:
• advanced machinery
• the food industry
• logistics and the supply chain
In each exercise the participation of companies and
research institutes was encouraging, with between 30 and
50 firms and research labs involved in the panel activity.
Through the analysis of technology trends, technology
foresight studies provide a contribution to the discussion
of the needs arising from the analysis and self-analysis
of the sector selected. It is possible to develop a shared
vision on emerging technologies which might change the
international positioning of the industry in Emilia-Romagna
and hence might require a major redefinition of product,
process and production organization in order to guarantee
competitiveness.

Contact:
Fondazione FABER
responsible scientific officer: Annaflavia Bianchi
annaflavia@fastwebnet.it
 CORDIS EU

80

The creation of CORDIS was a DG XIII initiative - the Commission decision SEC(88)1831 allowed the service to
be first established in 1988. Today CORDIS (The Community Research and Development Information Service for
Science, Research and Development) is the official source of information on the seventh framework programme
(FP7) calls for proposals; it offers interactive web facilities that link together researchers, policymakers, managers
and key players in the field of research.

Profitability CORDIS is a well-known service with an average of over

Initial resources for setting up the service 300 000 users every month, mainly from the worlds of R&D
Independence and business, but also including policy-makers, business
Soft factors support organizations, journalists, etc. Each month these
Hard factors users collectively call up around seven million pages, and
download as many as 400 000 documents. Each individual
CORDIS has these main missions: visitor to CORDIS looks for a specific type of knowledge to
• To facilitate participation in European Research satisfy specific needs.
activities;
• To enhance exploitation of research results
with an emphasis on sectors crucial to Europe’s Source: http://cordis.europa.eu/home_en.html
competitiveness;
• To promote the dissemination of knowledge
fostering the innovation performance of enterprise
and the societal acceptance of new technology.

CORDIS is an information space, filled with a huge array of

accurate and up-to-date data on European research and
development activities and capacities. At present, there are
approximately:
• 350 000 database records
• 400 000 web pages
• 60 000 downloadable documents

New information is added daily, and all information is

regularly updated and reviewed until it is archived (where
it still remains available to users).
CORDIS EU

CORDIS is an interactive platform where information and
knowledge can be exchanged, where partnerships can
be formed, and where European research is turned into
benefits for European citizens. Well over 100 000 registered
users are regular visitors to CORDIS, exploiting interactive
service facilities to leverage their business and professional
interests.
Although CORDIS is already a huge information space,
offering many valuable services to visitors, the service is
constantly looking for new ways of helping customers
get maximum benefit from it. The use of CORDIS’s online
services is free-of-charge; customers only need to cover
telecommunication costs.
CORDIS is just one information service amongst many,
and is constantly looking for new link-ups to other sources
81
that can further expand the service. CORDIS is managed
by the Publications Office of the European Union (the
Publications Office), the publishing house of the European
Union. CORDIS is a valuable resource for RTD, with huge
databases and is one of the main information resources
for researchers in the EU looking for funding possibilities,
partners, programmes and EU policy in the field of research
and innovation.
The CORDIS key web pages and services are available in
English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Polish. The
research *eu magazine, available via CORDIS, is published
in English, French, German and Spanish, while CORDIS
Wire announcements can be posted in English, French or
German.
Website: http://cordis.europa.eu/home_en.html

Contact:
Publications Office of the European Union - CORDIS Unit
2, rue Mercier L-2985 Luxembourg
CORDIS Help Desk
Tel: +352 2929 42210 • E-mail: cordis-helpdesk@publications.europa.eu
 Project GAMF Hungary

82
The University of Szeged and the University College of Kecskemét competed together in the
competition organised by the National Development Agency in the framework of the Social Reform
Operative Program. They established a consortium for the implementation of the project in 2009 with
a full name establishment and the development of the necessary tools and environment to serve
knowledge exploitation and knowledge transfer in the University of Szeged and in the Southern Great
Plain Region. The project is designed to improve the scientific, innovation and economic potential of
the participating institutions of higher education through cooperation with the region’s stakeholders.
The goal is to facilitate the use of research and development results by the regional business sector.
The project supports the optimal and targeted use of scientific resources in order to improve the
knowledge-based economic transformation of the region.

Profitability transfer methods. Accredited training and education re-

Initial resources for setting up the service
Independence
Soft factors
Hard factors
The activities involved in the project are the following:
Methodology development: analyses, studies, strate-
gies and plans to establish technology transfer activities.
Development and implementation of new technology
lated to the objectives.
Service development: installation of new technology trans-
fer solutions. Collaboration and coordination activities in
connection with technology transfer. Technology transfer
advisory service and help-desk. Supply of technology trans-
fer instruments and software. Dissemination.
Technology transfer pilot projects: support for intel-
lectual property protection and intellectual property
management. Consultancy in the field of innovation,
finance, marketing and technology transfer.

Preparation for establishing spin-off enterprises: indi-

vidual adaptation of updated laws. Searching for poten-
tial investors and industrial partners. Defining the optimal
proprietary and investment structure of a spin-off enter-
prise. Spin-off financing and marketing activities.

Creation of technology transfer network: establish-

ment of regional institutional partnerships. Establish-
Project GAMF Hungary

ment of local, nationwide and trans-national economical-
industrial partnerships. Creation of trans-national transfer-
cooperation.
The project started in August 2009. The experience of the
first period has been favourable. Due to the thorough
83
preparation activities the links between the region's
enterprises and research institutes have been estab-
lished, offering more opportunities for technology
and knowledge transfer.
The total budget of the project is 2.1 million Euros.

Contact:
Ákos Tóth • University College of Kecskemét
www.kefo.hu • toth.akos@gamf.kefo.hu • +36-70-334-9922
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http://free.unideb.hu • free-project@unideb.hu