ET³

Opportunities and obstacles of knowledge and technology transfer - Empirical evidence on the innovation system in the German free state of Thuringia

German Title: Potentiale und Hemmnisse des Erkenntnis- und Technologietransfers am Beispiel des Innovationssystems Thüringen

Acronym: ET³ (Erkenntnis- und Technologietransfer Thüringen)

Description

Knowledge and technology transfer can be described as the movement of know-how, technical knowledge, skills or technical knowledge from one organizational entity to another. The project ET³ sheds light on how this movement takes place between the Thuringian actors of academia, industry and society. It determines both opportunities and challenges amongst the different actors and the frame conditions. Therefore, the project focus lies on the channels of knowledge and technology transfer:

• Intellectual property
• Business creation
• Research-industry collaboration and
• Labor mobility.

Moreover, the role of facilitating factors, e.g. technology transfer offices, is investigated. The core of the project is the transfer activities of 11 Thuringian universities and universities of applied sciences.

Economic policy context

Knowledge and technology transfer is considered to contribute to economic regional development. So, it is the universities‘ third task, alongside teaching and research. The project investigates its state of the art. Furthermore, economic policy recommendation are derived, addressing:

• Access to the universities’ personnel and, thus, its competencies
• Access to resources, e.g. infrastructure, equipment, software and funding
• Access to potential employees
• Increased commercialization of ideas and inventions

The overarching goal of improving the frame conditions of knowledge and technology transfer in Thuringia is both maintenance and creation of local jobs as well an increase in the introduction of products, processes and services.

Research context and project goal

In particular, multilateral collaboration is considered as key to increase transfers and, thus, commercialization activities. However, additional approaches that measure these activities themselves as well as their impact on the economy are needed. Specifically, the measurement of non-codified knowledge and societal impact requires further research. This project quantifies the transfer activities between the actors involved in the four investigated channels.

Team

Prof. Dr. Uwe Cantner, Dr. Maximilian Göthner, Dr. Martin Kalthaus, Philip Dörr, Lukas Dreier, Matthias Hügel, Indira Yarullina

Extended team members: Dr. Robert Weigelt (Landesentwicklungsgesellschaft Thüringen mbH)

Duration

2018-2022

Funding

The Project ET³ is funded by the Thuringian Ministry for Economic Affairs, Science and Digital Society (TMWWDG).

Project website

If you are interested in more information about this project, please visit the project’s website: https://www.et3.uni-jena.de/ de

The project page includes an outline of our current activities, including the survey on academic personnel at Thuringian universities.