The Improvement of Technology Transfer (PDF)

8 Recommendations for actions (S. 147-148)

The following chapter summarizes recommendations for actions for the previously defined groups of companies and university researchers. These proposals also include suggestions, which organization should primarily drive these actions. The following chapters start with a summary of suggestions important for a major part or even all survey participants and then go deeper into detail for the different groups. 8.1 Companies All companies wish for more and better information about research and possibilities of collaborations. However, different R&D strengths call for different approaches in communicating R&D competencies of universities. High export quotes have a similar influence on technology transfer like carrying out R&D.

Companies with higher export quotes are more likely to have expenditures for universities. They usually also have contacts to or collaborations with universities outside their home region. This results in the high importance of research excellence at universities for these companies. Throughout all groups of companies, personal relations to university researchers are important. This shows the necessity to realize events where company representatives can meet university researchers personally and vice versa.

There should also be room for informal meetings. Especially companies with expenditures for universities often approach university researchers actively. Nevertheless, university researchers also frequently approach them. In comparison with companies with expenditures for universities, university researchers rarely approach companies without expenditures for universities. Recruiting academics is one of the most important means to start technology transfer. In the interviews employment of university graduates was mentioned as important to establish contacts to universities. Companies also have to be aware that they must prepare themselves for technology transfer. Management

Dr. Franz Hofer promovierte bei Prof. Dr. Josef W. Wohinz am Institut für Industriebetriebslehre und Industrieforschung der Technischen Universität Graz. Er ist als Berater in der AVL-Consulting GmbH tätig.