Identifying Critical Factors in Managing University Technology Transfer and Commercialization Units

Given the increasing interest worldwide in the growth of new technology-based companies, the aim of the present paper is to contribute to the future design of patent commercialization and spin-off creation units on behalf of university authorities and national or regional innovation agencies. Our analysis was based on 52 public technology transfer units. Six unit typologies were identified in the analysis. From the results, the proposed recommendations are focused on some critical factors such as a university’s research mass, specialized personnel of the technology transfer units, their profile, expertise and cost, as well as ideas collected from some experts in the field.university; Science Park; technology transfer; commercialization; spin-off.

Analysing the Adoption of Energy-Saving Technologies in Manufacturing Firms

The present book chapter aims to (i) map the adoption of energy-saving technologies (EST) in manufacturing and (ii) identify structural and operational characteristics that are expected to correlate with EST implementation. The empirical evidence is collected through the European Manufacturing Survey. The analysis presented corresponds to the Spanish subsample 2012 edition. Our main result points to a relatively low implementation of EST, also interpretable as a still unexploited potential these technologies have for manufacturers. Other main findings show (i) a relatively still modest implementation of most EST and (ii) a possible relationship between high implementation of EST and perceived energy efficiency as a consequence of implementation. The chapter draws implications for practice and research

ISAC6+ Delivering Smarter Administration through innovation - a Benefits Realisation approach to ensuring success.

The paper describes how the Project Management discipline of benefits realisation has been applied to an EU funded E-government initiative. It explores the benefits of using this approach, the challenges to be addressed, and suggest a framework for applying the approach to other local and national e-government initiatives. One of the key project objectives is to demonstrate through the pilot that implementation of the iSAC6+ system will provide value for money by delivering the desired benefits both to government office users and citizens. The approach described here focuses on costs and benefits generated by use of the system. There are staff costs for training, support and operation, technical costs for integrating iSAC6+ in to existing systems and websites, and more significantly organisational costs for designing and implementing new procedures and working practices. Citizens too will incur costs to access and use the service. In iSAC6+ we have created a model of costs and benefits which can be applied in the short term to the pilot, and in the longer term to a much larger number of public organisations. The aim of the Benefits Realisation model is to demonstrate that iSAC6+ is capable of delivering value for money, and thus to justify the investment needed for expanding its use. Information Technology project success or failure is traditionally judged against objectives set during initial project planning. Enterprises, both public and private sector, have found this approach inadequate because long term costs and benefits do not occur until after the project has completed. Benefits Realisation emerged in the 1990s and developed two roles: a discipline for anticipating and quantifying the expected value of a project in terms of the costs and benefits which will accrue after the project itself is complete; and an over-arching project management philosophy. The paper uses the case study experience to comment upon these two different perspectives. The model developed within the project is based upon the recognised public sector costing formula, the Standard Cost model (SCM) but goes much further by integrating it into a Benefits Realisation tool which creates an audit trail from organisational strategic aims through to detailed cost measures for both quantitative and qualitative incidences

Clustering product innovators: a comparison between conventional and green product innovators

[EN] This paper aims at analysing firms implementing new products. Based on a cluster analysis, three types of manufacturers have been identified representing different types of product innovators according to the competitiveness factors important for their business, environmentally sensitive new products, and a performance indicator, such as the share of turnover from new products.Pons, M.; Bikfalvi, A.; Llach, J. (2018). Clustering product innovators: a comparison between conventional and green product innovators. International Journal of Production Management and Engineering. 6(1):37-46. doi:10.4995/ijpme.2018.8762SWORD37466

Exploring value differences across family firms : The influence of choosing and managing complexity

Altres ajuts: Formation of University Researchers (FPU)Stewardship is considered a distinctive feature of family firms, and it is associated with a set of values, including altruism, collectivism, trust, identification, loyalty and commitment. However, the extent to which these values actually prevail in different types of family firms has not often been explored, especially in relation to the types of complexity found in family firms. In this study, we address this gap in the literature and explore the existence of potential differences among family firms. Additionally, we investigate the possible reasons for these differences with regard to the levels of management complexity in the family firms and the processes related to such complexity, such as succession, pruning and complexity management options. We use a multiple case-study methodology involving 22 long-established family firms in northeast Spain. Based on the empirical results from our dynamic and multidimensional approach, this article primarily contributes to the existing literature by providing a conceptual model of the influence complexity has on values in family firms

Servitisation and technological complexity in family and non-family firms : European evidence

Servitisation is an emerging topic in practice and in the academy. In this paper, we address the influence of family ownership on servitisation strategy, using data collected through the European manufacturing survey, an international large-scale survey on trends in manufacturing. We approach our hypotheses through the lens of the Socio-Emotional Wealth (SEW), considering the characteristics of family firms and the rationales for servitisation. This paper provides evidence of the important role of technological factors in understanding the particular behaviour of family firms and provides empirical support for the rationales behind the SEW approach

Capabilities and organisational dimensions conducive to green product innovation: Evidence from Croatian and Spanish manufacturing firms

[EN] This paper aims to determine which configuration of green innovation capabilities (GICs) and organisational dimensions (ODs) leads to achieving green product innovation (GPI). We used data collected through the European Manufacturing Survey (EMS) from manufacturing firms in Spain and Croatia considered to be innovators. After conducting a cluster analysis, we identified a group of firms that still develop conventional product innovations (CPIs) and three groups of firms at different stages of GPI development. The four clusters were characterised using different variables, or determinants of GPI, associated with seven GICs and five ODs that favour GPI. According to the findings, all the GICs and ODs under analysis have a positive impact on GPI development, which results in the consolidation of a framework that organisations could use to manage green innovation. By empirically showing the relevance of applying these constructs, this study makes contributions to the Resource-Based Theory (RBT), along with its extension to GICs, and points to the need to associate them with the ODs to achieve GPI towards the challenge of sustainable development.Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, Grant/Award Number: ECO2017-86054-C3-3-RSerrano-García, J.; Bikfalvi, A.; Llach, J.; Arbeláez-Toro, JJ. (2022). Capabilities and organisational dimensions conducive to green product innovation: Evidence from Croatian and Spanish manufacturing firms. Business Strategy and the Environment. 31(7):2767-2785. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.30142767278531

A case study analysis of factors determining success or failure for participants in collaborative innovation projects in e-Government

In this paper we use the case study of a successful innovative e-government project, iSAC6+, to examine some of the key factors in the project's success with the aim of contributing to the general understanding of the challenges associated with managing e-government projects. We make observations, identify areas for deeper consideration and draw conclusions as to how lessons learned might be applied to other e-government projects. There has been considerable analysis into the success and failure of e-government projects. We analyse some of the literature to identify the unique features which might add additional challenge and risk to e-government projects and then focus on the case study, specifically on individual participants and stakeholders rather than on the project as a whole. The discussion looks at the vulnerability of e-gov projects resulting from one of their defining characteristics, their collaborative and multi-organisational nature. A collaborative project which meets its objectives will rightly be seen as a success, though this may not be the viewpoint of all participants, some of whom may have found that the hoped for benefits have not been realised. For these participants the project is at best a limited success, but for many, a failure. The high failure rate for e-government projects is researched, analysed and documented. One feature which is a consequence of the complex and unpredictable environment within which e-government initiatives take place is that they are inherently innovative in that their purpose is invariably aimed at establishing new IT enabled solutions to embedded and complex problems. Innovative projects operating in complex, unpredictable environments are at high risk of failure for some if not all participants. The aim of iSAC6+, was to implement of a semantic web based Citizens Advice Service (CAS) application in five pilots. Success was judged by the achievement of cost and quality benefits for all stakeholders, citizens and administrators (cost burden reduction), and by the impact on the pilot organisation and operation (service modification). The analysis will demonstrate how the development of a management and measurement framework based upon the strategic aims and objectives for each partner supported success. It will also show how absence or lack of clarity about aims and objectives adversely affected some partners. Finally the paper will make comments and suggestions based upon the lessons learned

Competence assessment in higher education: A dynamic approach

Advances in the implementation of the European Higher Education Area have had a great impact on university environment and the process of design, evaluation, and implementation of new curricula. Identifying competence levels among students can help course organizers to improve both academic content and teaching/learning processes. The present study addresses this issue by examining the implementation of an Internet-based competency assessment tool. We analyze the status and evolution of soft skills among students on the Official Masters program Creating and Managing Innovative Technology-Based Companies at the University of Barcelona, using a tool known as Tricuspoid, specifically designed for evaluating entrepreneurial competences. The results show that the tool, first, enables students to identify their strong and weak points and to develop personal strategies for improvement; second, provides teachers with additional information about the effects of their input on student competences; and third, supplies useful information for quality management of the Master's programs, because it can detect trends in the training needs of new students and help to enhance content accordingly, and therefore match the design of the academic program to the requirements of labor market