Summary objectives The background 7

2Objectives

The main objective of the present document is to describe the methodology that will be used for supporting the process of knowledge analysis and exchange between the four partner regions within KREO TN2. The methodology has the following specific objectives:

• 
  To be used over the whole project duration
  
• 
  To allow a better knowledge on the innovation performances of each partner region and enable evaluation of the specific framework conditions characterising the regions
  
• 
  To underlay the activities of all thematic WPs (WP3, WP4, WP5, WP6), where the developed operative tools will be applied
  
• 
  To facilitate the emergence and sharing of tacit knowledge among partner regions
  
• 
  To contribute to the improvement of co-operation between the KREO regions in the selection, transfer and implementation of good innovation practices developed at a regional level in terms of mechanisms for setting up and supporting innovative enterprises
  

3The background

3.1KREO TN1 methodology

In KREO TN1, a methodology was defined for the transfer of good innovation practices selected in the four KREO regions.

The general approach of KREO TN1 is summarised in Figure 1, that shows the origin of practices, as (1) the result of regional policies and/or (2) an initiative of intermediary/bridging organisations. Bridging organisations involved in KREO TN1 had indeed a central role in the development process and also in the management and transfer of innovation practices.

In KREO TN1, the transfer process of good innovation practices identified in the KREO regions was made of three different phases:

1. 
   identification and selection of good innovation practices on the basis of a series of basic assumptions;
   
2. 
   analysis of good innovation practices, taking into consideration a series of criteria which includes the practice type, the main policy objective, the years of application, the structure of the partnership and the origin of financing;
   
3. 
   exchange of selected innovation practices, including (1) the identification of specific points of strength and weakness (2) the verification of “critical success factors” depending on local characteristics and (3) the refinement of the analysis through the exchange of good practices related knowledge.
   

KREO TN1 methodology to select, analyse and exchange innovation practices was developed on the basis of four different assumptions:

1. 
   reinforcing relations between research and industry is the main means to increase the impact of new skills and technologies on local economic systems;
   
2. 
   translating priorities of regional innovation policies into actions is the main goal of the thematic network;
   
3. 
   the main focus is on practices that promote new start-ups from research;
   
4. 
   combination of two approaches: the top-down approach (from policies and framework conditions to the practice definition) and the bottom-up approach (from the application of best practices to the observation of their impact on local conditions).
   

A series of tools were developed within KREO TN1 to enable the transfer of practices between the KREO regions to happen.

In particular, the transfer of best practices was made:

• 
  within the four thematic research Working Groups that were set during the project kick-off meeting,
  
• 
  through a grid for the selection and analysis of good practices,
  
• 
  through the organisation of presentations, workshops and study visits.
  

Figure 1 – KREO TN1 methodological approach

Source: KREO TN Final Technical Report

3.2Results of the KREO TN1 methodology

The application of the KREO TN1 methodology had a series of concrete outputs, in particular:

1. 
   The transfer of good practices
   

As shown in Table 1, 29 practices were selected, analysed and exchanged in the network and, in particular:

• 
  3 practices from the TechnologieRegion Karlsruhe and Pforzheim
  
• 
  12 practices from Rhone-Alpes
  
• 
  8 practices from Emilia-Romagna
  
• 
  6 practices from Oxfordshire
  

Those practices were analysed in depth as regards main focus, nature, partnership, financing mechanisms, degree of maturity etc. with the aim of identifying critical aspects and evaluate transferability.

In addition to those practices, for which knowledge was transferred through the specific methodology, 7 other practices that were in their starting-up phase were exchanged.

For some of them, a presentation was organised and some materials were distributed but the methodology was not applied, whereas for others (i.e. the Innovationhaus portal or the Emilia-Romagna portal for research), partners have collaborated on a joint basis for the development of the initiative. For instance, one output of the project is a benchmarking study on research and technology portals.
Table 1 – Practices exchanged in KREO TN1

Region	Best practice
Technologie Region Karlsruhe and Pforzheim (Baden Wuttemberg, Germany)	KEIM – Karlsruher Existenzgründungs-Impuls
	FZK/TTM
	STEINBEIS Foundation
Lyon and Grenoble (Rhone Alpes, France)	Interface Agencies: Regional Digital Agency – ARN Regional Agency for Biotechnology – ARTEB
	Collective tools to encourage R&D co-operation in specific fields via industry research:
	Grenoble CNRT
	Plan Technopole (Grand Lyon)
	Logistic, mentoring and financial support to innovative companies: EMERTEC FUND
	Links between education/research/business: Hall de l’Entrepreneuriat Centre des Entrepreneurs
	Promotion of the awareness of innovation at a regional level: IT and digital portal from ARN
	Incubators: CREALYS Incubator for West Rhône-Alpes
	GRAIN Incubator for East Rhône-Alpes
	Commercial exploitation of research outputs and co-operation on research projects with the industry: INSA Valor Centrale Innovation
Oxfordshire (United Kingdom)	Technology Audit at Research organisation
	Innovation Action Toolkits and Animate Method
	Formation of Technology Cluster Groups
	OION – Oxfordshire Investment Opportunity Network
	Innovation Centres
	VIVA Portal
Emilia Romagna (Italy)	TECH NEWS Information services on technologies
	VERNE Virtual Emilia-Romagna Network for the European research
	AUDIT Enterprise auditing on innovation needs
	TRANSFER Service on technology transfer for SMEs
	FIRST Orientation and information service on EU, italian and regional financing for esearch and technological development
	SPINNER Services for the Promotion of iNNovation And Research
	DEMOCENTER - Centre of excellence in the Virtual Extended Enterprise
	TEMA – Virtual incubator for the enterprises involved in the handling of Digital Objects

Not all practices are at the same transfer stage. Table 2 reports the status, in terms of methodology application and activities realised, of all practices selected in KREO TN1, to be considered as the starting point for developing network activity in KREO TN2.
Table 2– Practices transferred in KREO TN1

		Status
Region	Best practice	0	1	2
TechnologieRegion Karlsruhe and Pforzheim	KEIM	Yes	Yes	Yes
	FZK/TTM	Yes	Yes	Yes
	STEINBEIS Foundation	Yes	No	No
	Cyber Forum	No	Yes	Yes
	Research Center for Information Technologies / Forschungszentrum Informatik (FZI)	No	Yes	Yes
	Technologie Fabrik	No	Yes	No
Lyon and Grenoble in Rhone Alpes	Interface Agencies:
	ARN	Yes	Yes	Yes
	ARTEB	Yes	No	No
	Collective tools to encourage co-operation in specific fields via industry research:
	Grenoble CNRT	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Plan d’actions Technopole Grand Lyon	Yes	No	No
	INSA Valor	Yes	No	No
	Centrale Innovation	Yes	No	No
	Logistic, mentoring and financial support to innovative companies :
	EMERTEC	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Links between education/research/business:
	Hall de l’Entrepreneuriat	Yes	No	No
	Centre des Entrepreneurs	Yes	No	No
	Promotion of the awareness of innovation at a regional level: IT and digital portal from ARN	Yes	Yes	Yes
	CREALYS Incubator for West Rhône-Alpes	Yes	Yes	Yes
	GRAIN Incubator for East Rhône-Alpes	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Ideas Lab	No	Yes	Yes
	GRECO	No	Yes	No
	Villa Media	No	Yes	No
Oxfordshire	Technology Audit at Research organisation	Yes	No	No
	Innovation Action Toolkits and the ANIMATE method	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Formation of Technology Cluster Groups	Yes	No	No
	OION - Oxfordshire Investment Opportunity Network	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Innovation Centres	Yes	Yes	Yes
Emilia-Romagna	ASTER	Yes	Yes	Yes
	TECH NEWS Information services on technologies	Yes	No	No
	VERNE Virtual Emilia-Romagna Network for the European research	Yes	Yes	No
	AUDIT Enterprise auditing on innovation needs	Yes	No	No
	TRANSFER Service on technology transfer for SMEs	Yes	No	No
	FIRST Orientation and information service on EU, italian and regional financing for research and technological development	Yes	Yes	Yes
	SPINNER Services for the Promotion of iNNovation And Research	Yes	Yes	Yes
	DEMOCENTER - Centre of excellence in Productive Systems	Yes	Yes	Yes
	TEMA	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Emilia-Romagna portal for research	No	Yes	No

Status regards the tools/mechanisms applied to the practices where:

• 
  Status 0 indicates that a grid and a fact sheet were prepared;
  
• 
  Status 1 indicates that a modelling activity was realised or a workshop was organised
  
• 
  Status 2 indicates that a visiting scheme was organised
  

2. 
   Identification of policy priorities (current and in development)
   

In KREO TN1, a mapping activity of current and emerging innovation policies present at EU level was carried out, good practices selected and exchanged having then been analysed according to their main policy scope. The results of this mapping activity are reported in Table 3, where it can be observed that good practices mainly aim at favouring “Technology absorption and innovation management by SMEs” and at “intensifying cooperation between research, universities and companies” whereas for general themes as “taxation” or “administrative simplification”, no practice was analysed.
Table 3 – KREO TN1 Practices divided per main policy priorities

Policy priorities		Supporting schemes
On going
Strengthening research carried out by companies	Incentives: None
	Competitive subsidies: None		Complementing business research trough its public research facilities: FZK/TTM (GE)	Applied R&D industrial projects: None	Strenghtening R&D activities in private companies: Steinbeis Foundation (GE)
			Supporting Companies in reinforcing competencies in research and development capacity for new product development: INSAVALOR (FR)		Strenghtening R&D activities in private companies: Centrale Lyon Innovation (FR)
Innovation financing	Venture capital – pre seed and seed funds for advanced technologies: EMERTEC FUND (FR)		Business Angels Network: OION (UK)	Guarantee scheme for venture capital companies: None	Priming Funds for technology area of national priority: None	Nouveau Marché: None
Technology absorption and innovation management by SMEs	Information service on technology: TECHNEWS (IT)		TT unit of LPRO: FZK/TTM (GE)		Liason office: None
	Demonstration projects: TRANSFER (IT)			Regional technology centres: INSAVALOR (FR)
	Company visiting schemes. None
	Mobility scheme STEINBEIS Foundation (GE)			Mobility Scheme: Central Lyon Innovation (FR)
	Advisory services: Innovation Action Toolkits (UK)		Advisory services: AUDIT (IT)	Advisory services: STEINBEIS Foundation (GE)	Orientation and information service on EU, italian and regional financing for research and technological development FIRST (IT)	Orientation and information service financing for research and technological development and research and technological completencies; IT digital portal from KEIM

More recent priorities
Intensified co-operation between research, universities and companies	Reduction of the cultural and managerial gap between research performer and who takes up the results: Hall de l’Entrepreneuriat (FR) Grenoble CNRT (FR) INSAVALOR (FR) Centrale Lyon Innovation (FR)	Technology Audit at Research organisation (UK)		Region –based Technology valley. ARTEB
	SPINNER (IT)
	KEIM (GE)
	Innovation Action Toolkits (UK)
Promotion of clustering and co-operation for innovation	Regional Centre of expertise: DEMOCENTER (IT)	RTD – TT support programme for Regional cluster: Formation of Technology cluster groups (UK)	Interface Agency in a key technology (numeric): ARN (FR)	Technology specific competence networks (nation wide). Open platform for cooperative research on key technologies: Grenoble CNRT (FR)	Technology specific competence network: TEMA (IT)
	Centre of expertise: INSAVALOR (FR)
Start-up technology based companies	Stimulation of the sense of entrepreneurship in the research organisation and Human resources: Hall de l’Entrepreneuriat (FR) Grenoble CNRT (FR) INSAVALOR (FR) Centrale Lyon Innovation (FR) Centre des Entrepreneurs (FR)	Incubators and friendly advisory environment in key technology sectors (numeric): CREALYS (FR) GRAIN (FR)	Project-Plan of actions to stimulate business start up from higher educations and universities: KEIM (GE)	Technology Audit at Research organisation (UK)
	SPINNER (IT)	Innovation Centres (UK)	SPINNER (IT)
	KEIM (GE)

Theme of increasing interest
Administrative simplification
Taxation and indirect measures
Strategic vision of innovation and raising awareness of the wider public	Interface portal in a key technology (numeric): IT and digital portal from ARN (FR)

Overall trends and new delivery mechanisms
Systems approach to innovation policy
Increasing the complementarities of national and regional policies
New forms of “public private partnerships”	Open platform for co-operative research: Grenoble CNRT (FR)
New role of public policy as a facilitator of innovation	Development of technological poles in a local area: Plan d’actions Technopole Grand Lyon (FR)
Tackling globalisation