Secondo Rolfo

Technology Transfer Analysis in the Italian National Research Council

This paper analyses the technology transfer (t.t.) in the nine Cnr research Institutes located in Piedmont, a highly industrialised region of the north-west of Italy. Some taxonomic criterions are used for classifying the t.t. In particularly we have two main types of actions from research structures: (A) Market-oriented technology transfer split into: strict sense and wide sense of the term. (B) Education-oriented technology transfer (training and teaching activities i.e. not generated ‘financial revenues’). It is measured using physical quantities (for example, number of subjects, number of contacts, etc.). The correlation of outcomes shows that, if we consider as value of t.t. activity the ‘financial revenues’ (market-oriented technological transfer), the best Institutes are those operating in the technological area; instead, if we use, as indicator of t.t. activity, the number of external courses and the number of personnel trained (education-oriented technological transfer), the ranking changes to favour non-technological research institutes. Moreover, spatial dynamics of technology transfer are investigated; in particular, we verified whether the propagation of technology follows the Hagerstrand proximity-effect and finally the causes when these effects do not function.

How Research Policy Changes Can Affect the Organization and Productivity of Public Research Institutes: An Analysis within the Italian National System of Innovation

Abstract Nowadays the governments of some countries reorganize public research laboratories to increase their efficiency and scientific knowledge transfer, more and more necessary to the competitiveness of firms and national economic growth. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between organizational changes and productivity in public research institutions within the Italian national system of innovation, during the period 1999–2003, which is characterized by a new research policy based on mergers and consolidation among research units. The new policy is generating lower research productivity and scale diseconomies in laboratories, due to the bureaucratization of these large new bodies. The results also show that institutes of small size are more productive than large-sized labs. The comparative analysis provides policy makers with useful information concerning the behavior of these bodies.

Strategy and Market Management of New Product Development and Incremental Innovation: Evidence From Italian SMEs

The industrial structure of many European countries is dominated by small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Although SMEs consider the new product development (NPD) process fundamental for success in the global market, the level of formalisation of the innovation process is very low. Moreover, if we consider the SMEs operating in the mature sectors, such as automotive and machines tools, the situation is worrying. The aim of this paper is to analyse in-depth a sample of manufacturing SMEs located in a highly industrialised Italian region (Piedmont), the strategy used both for NPD and for incremental innovation. The latter may often occur, not so much as structured RD the improvements informally suggested by engineers or technicians engaged in the production process; proposals and initiatives coming from users. The methodology in this paper is a longitudinal study which provides a close-up view of the adoption of these non-structured innovation patterns. Although the SMEs located in this area are specialised rather than diversified in their technological competencies and product range, they lack of information about the financial facilities available to the innovation process and marketing capabilities. These generate two effects: the SMEs cannot cope with the RD they cannot fully take advantage from their innovation process. This research aims to offer some useful considerations to the European policy makers and managers in managing NPD and innovation within SMEs.

Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior of Public Research Institutions

The purpose of this article is to analyze the organizational behavior of public research organizations based on their human resources development and management. The study here focuses on the largest Italian public research body. The pyramid of R&D people shows the irregular spatial structure of the research personnel per macro regions and the index of seniority indicates older research personnel in the North and Central Part of Italy than in the South Italy. The analysis of human resources displays organizational weaknesses and threats for public research labs generated by research policy based on shrinking public research lab budgets and downsizing of research personnel. Some critical human resource management implications are discussed in order to improve the strategic change and research performances of public research institutions in turbulent and fast-changing markets.

Flexible automation and firm size: some empirical evidence on the Italian case

Abstract Flexible automation technologies extend to small- and medium-sized firms those economies that were once reserved for large-scale producers. For this reason they look relevant to the flexible specialization model. This paper summarizes the results of research on the diffusion of flexible automation in Italy, both at different levels of complexity and in firms of different sizes. The study was restricted to firms using metal-cutting technology. The main conclusion is that at present this technology is concentrated in large companies. In fact small- and medium-sized firms face more obstacles than larger ones in adopting the more complex forms of flexible automation.

Project management in public research organisations: strategic change in complex scenarios

The efficient organisation of public research bodies is important to increase the production of scientific research, which is more and more necessary for competitiveness in modern economies. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the new project-based organisation of the biggest public research body in Italy. The analysis shows that unless project management is properly designed and implemented within Public Research Bodies (PRBs), it tends to become unmanageable over time, creating conflicts, confusion and the proliferation of communication channels, which lead to information log jams. The reality is that the Italian National Research Council (CNR) has never really implemented project management rules; as a matter of fact, because of coordination and area problems as well as the public structure of CNR, it hybridises project management rules with the old organisation since this is the only way to cope with a turbulent and uncertain domestic context.

New Entrepreneurial Behaviour of Public Research Organisations: Opportunities and Threats of Technological Services Supply

Public research labs play a fundamental role in modern economies to increase, through knowledge and technology transfer, the economic growth of countries. The paper analyses new organisation of the biggest public research body in Italy, based on project management, designed with an explicit aim to transform this research institution in entrepreneurial organisation, providing technological services and applied research to external subjects such as firms, public administration, etc. New matrix structure of the public research organisation – technological services-oriented – creates structural deficiencies, coordination problems, as well as problems of defining the extent of the project managers authority over staff from other departments. In addition this new structure has been decreasing scientific production of institutes which reduces the efficiency of overall national system of innovation.

From national to regional approach in R&D policies: the case of Italy

Following the recent changes in the institutional framework (devolution), the Italian regional governments are assuming a new and growing role in R&D support. This evolution however is not well determined and could cause some conflicts between the national and regional level, especially in the area where science policies are being formulated. This paper analyses the new regional policies covering this matter, the local initiatives in the Triple-Helix context and the future consequences on the national innovation system.

Concepts, measures and perspectives on innovation policy

The aim of this paper is to show the theoretical evolution of the innovation policy in the last few decades. This paper analyses two main matters: the theoretical assumption for public policies in R&D and the practices in progress. In the first issue, particular attention will be paid to current perspectives and contents: SMEs support, the regionalisation of policies and the Triple-Helix systemic approach. The second topic analyses the consequences for policymaking, according to the current main policies for innovation, such as mission policies, diffusion and technology transfer policies, infrastructural policies and territorial policies.

L'interazione fra ricerca pubblica e industria in Italia

Following the growing interest towards the role of the knowledge in the modern economies the economic literature has focused many studies on the role of the sources of new knowledge, e.g. universities and public research institutions. The relations between these bodies and the firms, the contributions of the technological spillovers at the local level, the creation of new technology based firms, the challenge between fundamental research and applied research are some of the arguments of the present debate. This paper represents a short survey of the international literature with a focus on the studies concerning Italy, and an analysis of the relations of some Italian research institutes with users of knowledge and technology (such as firms, etc.). The results show a common evidence even if in some areas the Italian situation is quite underdeveloped with large areas for future research policy implications.