Progress in Demand – project overview A core element of the project is an extensive survey carried out among small and medium-sized enterprises and technological knowledge institutions – technical universities and research and technology organizations. Core questions addressed in the survey are: what motivates the collaboration, and which barriers does it meet before establishment? The survey comprised small and medium-sized enterprises, and research and technology institutions, and universities from Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Denmark and Norway. ●● The sampling criteria for small and medium-sized enterprises were defined as 20-249 employees of which at least one had an engineering degree, and the company is registered within the NACE codes for manufacturing (NACE 10-37). ●● Knowledge institutions include research- and training institutions involved in training of engineers (civil- or diploma engineers); the survey addressed the engineering departments. ●● Research and Technology Organizations are specialized knowledge organizations dedicated to the development and transfer of science and technology, but which do not offer basic training of engineers. ●● Data were collected in the period from November 2011 through January 2012. ●● 71 Small and medium-sized enterprises, 17 respondents from research and technology organizations, and 63 respondents from universities answered the survey, giving acceptable response rates ranging from 27% to 30% on the total for each survey. ●● However, as the total number of answers from research and technology organizations is small, these have to a large extent been excluded from the analysis. Some of the key findings are: ●● The small and medium-sized enterprises are looking mainly for supplements to existing knowledge rather than entirely new knowledge. ●● In general, the small and medium-sized enterprises attribute a lower importance to the collaboration with the technological knowledge institutions, as compared to the importance that the knowledge institutions attribute to their co-operation with the enterprises. ●● The enterprises have difficulties in finding the knowledge they need, and find it difficult to distinguish between technical universities and research and technology organizations. ●● Universities with experience in collaborating with small and medium-sized enterprises perceive barriers in the enterprises’ skills in adapting new knowledge. These barriers are higher for experienced universities as compared to nonexperienced universities. Best practice: In addition to the survey, the project has gathered examples of best practices within the collaboration among enterprises and knowledge institutions. These examples are shown in this booklet, to serve as a general inspiration and as a basis for methods to further explore, develop and disseminate in future projects. The best practice examples clearly demonstrate that there are a lot of good initiatives to further build upon although it is less evident how such experience is best transferred across firms, industries and countries. Recommendations: At the outset of the project, the idea was to develop some general training modules for the staff at the small and medium-sized enterprises to become stronger in demanding technological knowledge. Based upon project findings and the project members’ own experience, it is clear that general training is not the key solution. Rather, the important issue has become how to raise awareness of the need for new technological knowledge for the enterprises, and training to go hand in hand with specific knowledge initiatives together with the enterprises. 1 2
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