Le barriere all’innovazione per le PMI: un comune denominatore nell’area mitteleuropea Pawel Warszycki Direttore Esecutivo HIE-RO Hanseatic Institute for Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Rostock (DE)

1. Barriers to innovation for SMEs: a common
denominator in Central Europe
Pawel Warszycki
HIE‐RO Hanseatic Institute for Entrepreneurship & Regional Development at
the University of Rostock (DE)
www.cebbis.eu …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The CEBBIS project is implemented through the Central Europe Programme co‐financed by the ERDF

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GLOBAL CHALLENGES
vs
TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY

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AIM OF THE ANALYSIS
 The aim of the expertise is to provide a technical report
with the analysis, identification and description of barriers to
innovation development processes of Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs) in different regions in Germany, Italy,
Hungary, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia and Poland.

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METHODOLOGY OF THE SURVEY
Secondary data
 Investigation on NUTS level
 highlight the most important national (country level)
trends and facts
Primary data
 Survey made by using questionnaires with experts from
different groups of stakeholders

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STRUCTURE OF THE REPORTS
1. Executive summary
2. General characteristics
3. Evaluation of R&D and technology transfer
4. Best practices on technology transfer
5. Recommendations, suggestions and proposals

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DEFINITION OF THE TRANSFER OF
TECHNOLOGY
Technology transfer is the process of sharing of skills, knowledge,
technologies, methods of manufacturing, samples of manufacturing and
facilities among governments and other institutions to ensure that
scientific and technological developments are accessible to a wider range
of users who can then further develop and exploit the technology into new
products, processes, applications, materials or services. It is closely related
to (and may arguably be considered a subset of) knowledge transfer.
Technology brokers are people who discovered how to bridge the disparate
worlds and apply scientific concepts or processes to new situations or
circumstances.

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BARRIERS IN THE TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY
IN FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA REGION ‐ ITALY
1. Researchers lack of motivation and information for applicable
innovation
2. Lack of communication and of experience in working together
3. Lack of funding because of economic and cultural factors

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BARRIERS IN THE TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY
IN FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA REGION ‐ ITALY
1. Lack of a new business model or other defined lack of an
innovative system combining different aspects of the business like
e.g. new technology, market innovation, traditional industry etc.
2. Investing into innovation is a risky business and that is why
financial institutions like banks do not want to finance such
projects. What remains is self‐financing, that is often impossible
for SMEs
3. If it is a matter of public subsidies managed by public authorities –
the general idea is word worth, but the process of taking decisions
is too long (even answer “no” is better than no answer)

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BARRIERS IN THE TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY
IN FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA REGION ‐ ITALY
1. The dialog process should be strongly promoted as there is a
significant gap in the communication process. Lack of such a
structure like innovation committee
2. Activities supporting innovation process by using external
expertise require deep knowledge and understanding of the
specific economic sector – this requires excellent human resources
of e.g. BDOs
3. If the innovation process should work, there is a need of vision
which often lacks. Additionally, it is not easy to gather others to
share and further develop this vision. At this stage, a lack in
communication platform creates barrier of loneliness

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BARRIERS IN THE TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY
IN FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA REGION ‐ ITALY
1. Entrepreneurs do not look around themselves (for different
reasons) and focus only on the short‐term aspects of the turnover
2. Nowadays the value of the investments done is often much higher
then their current value, this creates financial problems to the
companies
3. There is a significant lack of the 2 very important elements needed
for the innovation and technology transfer process: human
resources and capital for the creating innovation

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BARRIERS IN THE TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY
IN FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA REGION ‐ ITALY
1. The financial crises showed that the SMEs are not so sensitive like
bigger companies – probably because of their being more flexible.
But the entrepreneurship development at the regional level lacks
the idea/system supporting use of this unique flexibility, so to turn
it into a strength point
2. As a consequence, the problem is not the majority of SMEs within
the structure, but a malfunctioning of the triple‐helix structure
3. Lack of cooperation between SMEs and globally important players
4. Sometimes SMEs create innovative approach or product without
knowing that similar approach already exists (maybe in another
sector, but is adaptable)

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BARRIERS IN THE TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY
IN FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA REGION ‐ ITALY
1. Innovation issue lacks of the ethical / philosophical discussion
2. Lack of the awareness of SMEs that innovation means not only
high‐tech, but also low‐tech or no‐tech products which can create
innovation as an added‐value
3. Mostly the step forward in the innovation process at companies
takes place if the culture of the company or manager change. But
because it is not possible to rotate too often, there is a lack of the
approach supporting exchange of knowledge and experience
4. There is a lack of the support instrument covering the whole
innovation process in different phases

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BARRIERS IN THE TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY
IN FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA REGION ‐ ITALY
1. Innovation should be open source but it is extremely difficult to
influence the mental barriers of all actors involved in the
innovation and technology transfer process
2. There is a lack of flexible, mixed financial system to finance
investment in the innovation. Mix of the public‐private financial
products does not exist and could avoid typical capital barriers of
SMEs
3. There is a gap in the non‐financial and non facilities services on the
side of BDOs. Lack of information and know‐how support (is a
weak point of the micro and SMEs)

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BARRIERS IN THE TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY
IN FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA REGION ‐ ITALY
1. The management of public support funds is complicated
2. Low value product often provided by SMEs does not allow to
compete on the global market. The quality of low‐tech products
has to be significantly better that products offered on the global
market by low‐labour‐cost competitors e.g. from China.
3. There is still a low level cooperation between SMEs on the
European level
4. There is no support system to allow SMEs to act on the European
market

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BARRIERS IN THE TRANSFER OF
TECHNOLOGY IN SILESIA REGION (PL)
1. Low interest for innovation in the scientific institutes
2. Low capacity of the scientific institutes in terms of organizational facilities
3. Problem in cooperation and communication with business sector
4. Rigid legal frame work and high bureaucracy
5. Lack of information for cooperation and making decisions
6. Unclear structure and function of the BDOs in the region
7. Low human capacity in BDOs to perform their tasks well
8. Low level of innovation and applying new innovation within SMEs
9. Mistrust in cooperation with BDOs and the scientific institutions

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BARRIERS IN THE TRANSFER OF
TECHNOLOGY IN POLAND
1. Insufficient internal R&D in small and medium‐size enterprises
2. Low exploitation of patents and licences for manufacturing of innovative products
3. Difficulties in the co‐operation between the enterprise and the research institute
4. Lack of pro‐innovative engineering services for manufacturing companies located in
clusters and technological parks
5. Lack of coherence between R&D performed in R&D institutes and universities and
the needs of entrepreneurs
6. Lack of clearly defined specialization (sectoral profile) of most of technological parks
and clusters
7. Low level of readiness to undertake the risk of economic activity by scientists and
researchers
8. Insufficient links between the system of professional education of the youth and
labour market

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BARRIERS IN THE TRANSFER OF
TECHNOLOGY IN REGIONS BRANDENBURG
AND STUTTGART ‐ GERMANY
1. Low interests of innovation for SMEs at the scientific institutes
2. Low capacity of the scientific institutes to work with business sector
3. Problem in cooperation and communication with business sector
4. Rigid and high bureaucracy
5. Lack of information for making decisions
6. Unclear structure and function of the BDOs in the region
7. Low level of innovation and applying new innovation within SMEs
8. Low efficient cooperation among all actors involved in TT

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BARRIERS IN THE TRANSFER OF
TECHNOLOGY IN CZECH REPUBLIC
1. Insufficient demand from Czech companies for the results of R&D
2. Difficult orientation in R&D offer and its usefulness (lack of evaluation
tools)
3. Poor access to finances
4. Not transparent legislation system (especially for spin‐offs or start‐ups)
5. Unsatisfactory level of cooperation between organizations within/and
related networks
6. Lack of motivation and conservative thinking of R&D personnel

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BARRIERS IN THE TRANSFER OF
TECHNOLOGY IN HUNGARY
1. Low capacities on R&D
2. Organizational problems
3. University‐Industry co‐operation
4. Imbalance between supply and demand of educated workforce
5. Issues of SMEs
6. Sectoral heterogenity

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SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

21. Pawel Warszycki
HIE‐RO Hanseatic Institute for Entrepreneurship
& Regional Development at the University of
Rostock (DE)
www.cebbis.eu
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Ulmenstraße 69 ‐ Haus 3
18051 Rostock
phone: +49 381 498 5630
E‐mail: pawel.warszycki@hie‐ro.de
www.hie‐ro.de
The CEBBIS project is implemented through the Central Europe Programme co‐financed by the ERDF