1. Universities as actors in the (regional) innovation system
Innovation Capability and ISO/IEC innoSPICE – an European Perspective
Universities as actors in the (regional) innovation system
Dr. Michael Boronowsky
Managing Director Innovation Capability
TZI – Universität Bremen

2. European Perspective:
Role of Universities as partner in regional development strategies
Motivation of Universities to participate?
Expectation of Universities to participate?
Capabilities of Universities to participate?
What is the Innovation Capability of an University?

3. Towards a Efficient Development Strategy Players within a Region
Governmental Organisations:
State Government: Economic Affairs, Science and Education, …
Business Development
State Marketing, …
Companies
Traditional Business, New Economy, Start-Ups, Networks, …
Universities
Research, Education, Transfer, …
Culture
Region

4. Towards a Efficient Development Strategy Players within a Region
Governmental Organisations:
State Government: Economic Affairs, Science and Education, …
Business Development
State Marketing, …
Companies
Traditional Business, New Economy, Start-Ups, Networks, …
Universities
Research, Education, Transfer, …
Culture
Smart Specialization
Strategies
Region

5. Players within a Region Potential Problem: Different Interests
University interests:
Education of Students
Interesting Research
Publications
Research Projects
Scientific Reputation …
Government interests:
Job Generation
Increasing tax income
Acquisition of new Companies
Reputation of Location …
No or only weak understanding of a common strategic goal

6. Players within a Region A Better Way: Think Global – Act Local
Ind.
Both aspects are considered equally
Focus on Regional Effects
Region
Main Focus of Interest
Support
Own Interests
Uni.
Gov. …
Definition of a common understanding and strategy for the improvement of the regional situation

7. Regional Requirements for Universities Sustainable Research
E.g., a research project at a University
May finance a scientist for some years
May lead to a number of publications
May prototypically demonstrate the feasibility of a concept
May satisfy a scientist or the research community
But external funding has to be understood as investment into the region
Maybe it is not enough only to finance a scientist for a while or to end up with some publications …
Research results have to be transferred into practical applications
Economic sustainability has to be a major goal

8. Regional Requirements for Universities Universities as Major Attractors for Companies
Government can attract by:
Offer low cost lots and office space
Provide Infrastructures like Science Parks
Funding of R&D efforts
But
Weak or no USP
Hard to establish sustainable relations
No deep technological knowledge
University can offer:
Relevant and practical innovations
Operative contacts to companies
Established partner networks
Science as a professional service
Experience in acquiring funding
Well educated and experienced experts in innovative areas So
University has to realize this important value and take responsibility for it
Being a “High-Tech Region” requires
an active involvement of universities

9. Same applies e.g. to employability of students
Regional Requirements for Universities Universities as Major Attractors for Companies
Government can attract by:
Offer low cost lots and office space
Provide Infrastructures like Science Parks
Funding of R&D efforts
But
Weak or no USP
Hard to establish sustainable relations
No deep technological knowledge
University can offer:
Relevant and practical innovations
Operative contacts to companies
Established partner networks
Science as a professional service
Experience in acquiring funding
Well educated and experienced experts in innovative areas So
University has to realize this important value and take responsibility for it
Being a “High-Tech Region” requires
an active involvement of universities
Same applies e.g. to employability of students

10. A well developed Innovation Capability of an University/Research center influences
the way knowledge and technologies are transferred (effectiveness and efficiency)
How an organization is communicating (internal and external)
The reliability as partner in a collaboration
The degree how internal structures and processes are aligned towards strategic goals
Self reflectiveness and organizational learning …

11. European Perspective:
Role of Universities as partner in regional development strategies
Motivation of Universities to participate?
Expectation of Universities to participate?
Capabilities of Universities to participate?
How to improve Innovation Capability of an University?

12. A Transfer Model for increase of innovation capability
Return of Invest in scientific infrastructures is hard to measure
e.g. effects of transfer activities within a region
e.g. patents, licensing v.s. implementation, spinOffs etc.
Finding suitable indicators for transfer organizations is still an open issue. Improve Organization only by indicators can optimize unsuitable capabilities
Idea: Structure and processes of an organization are related to its regional effects
define assessment models and asses organizations
efficient structure leads to efficient processes and efficient processes lead to efficient outcomes
from reactive to proactive mechanism

13. Target/Goal

14. To know how and what to improve in your organisation, you first have to know where you are
Target/Goal
YOU
ARE
HERE

15. Informal Feedback on Transfer
Business/ Society
own experience
“Gut Feelings”
Lessons Learned
effects
informal
feedback
Transfer
University/ Research
performs

16. innoSPICE a Process Reference Model for Public Research and Transfer Organizations
A standard based model for innovation, knowledge- and technology transfer
Based on the Process Assessment Framework ISO/IEC (SPICE)
The model was evaluated in several Universities, Research, Transfer and Governmental Organizations
moving technology transfer towards predictable processes
improving transparency and quality of processes inside organizations
assessing factors like communication skills, information management, relation management, training needs

17. Structured Feedback Transfer activities Transfer activities Transfer
Business/ Society
Transfer
University/ Research
performs
effects
structured feedback
structured analyse
assessment
Best Practices
understand
compare
learn
optimize
Transfer
activities
effects
Transfer
activities
Transfer
activities
Transfer
activities
Transfer
activities
Transfer
activities
Transfer
activities
professionalization
marketing
efficiency
transparency
trust
capabilities

18. Example Visualized Assesment Result

19. innoSPICE facilitates the continuous improvement process of innovation, knowledge and technology transfer for quality assurance
innoSPICE® Approach 1 2 3
Participants Identification &
Model Tailoring
Guided Self-Assessment
Benchmarking & Improvement Measures
Conduction of guided innoSPICE self-assessment workshop applying the twofold bottom-up & top-down assessment method (approx. 3 days)
Discussion of process capabilities addressed by innoSPICE
Determination of capability for each process discussed
Identification of participants relevant to assessment workshop
Initial briefing of participants on innoSPICE assessment method, assessment scope and goals
Analysis of organizational activities and responsibilities related to innovation & transfer
Identification of most significant gaps to best practice by experts
Definition of improvement measures and high-level implementation roadmap
Benchmarking of capability levels against other peers / best practice
Thiemo
Gesamtansatz erläutern, d.h. Kernprozess eingebettet in Unterstützungsprozesse
1. Projekt-Setup: geordneten, zielgerichteten und effizienten Projektstart sicherstellen (z.B. Teamkonstellation, detaillierte Arbeits- und Kommunikationsplanung
Bezug zu genannten Rahmenbedingungen herstellen: sowohl Optimierung als auch „grüne Wiese“; Spannungsfeld kreieren
2. EVO: „evolutionäres“ Vorgehen, Fokus auf Optimierung von Bestehendem; Optimierung alleine greift aber manchmal zu kurz
4. REVO: „revolutionäres“ Vorgehen; innovativer Lösungsansatz auf der „grünen Wiese“; mögliche Ideallösung; isoliert evtl. unrealistisch
3. Treiber und Best Practices: - interne und externe Treiber der organisatorischen Komplexität - Unternehmensvergleiche und Beispiele („von anderen lernen“) - Input für EVO, REVO und Konzeption
5. Konzeption: - Kombinieren beider Sichtweisen - valide Optionen für die MR entwickeln - Entscheidungsvorbereitung und Vorstandsempfehlung
8. Vorstandsvorlage: eigentliches Papier kreieren und notwendige Abstimmung fahren
6. Projektsteuerung: Konsistenz über Arbeitsströme hinweg, Schnittstelle zu Sponsoren
7. Kultur und Kommunikation: Organisation einbinden, Veränderungsbereitschaft fördern
Überleitung: für 2., 4., 5. und 7. gehen wir jetzt mehr ins Detail: greifbar machen, exemplarisch, Konkretisierung, Illustration des Vorgehens
Scope of innoSPICE Assessment
innoSPICE Assessment Report
innoSPICE Improvement Report
Source: innoSPICE ISO 15504 19

20. Two new projects funded by DAAD
RAMSES: Raising Management capacity in Higher Education InstitutionS (DAAD DIES)
SATIS: OrganiSATional redesIgn for reSearch-based learning
CAIRO University and IRESA (Tunisia)
Suez Canal University and Cairo University
Establishing mechanisms within scientific management structures for continuous improvement of innovation capability
Setting up a ReviTec pilot at SCU and establishing a Master of Ecology
Improving the integration of research into teaching
E.g. 2 pilots at CU to establish quality assurance based on innoSPICE
Improve the transfer of knowledge and technologies from university to society
E.g. training of innoSPICE assessors inside CU

21. THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION