Project status:		Current
Project period:		11/2007 to 11/2009
Project type:		Product creation

 

Description

The spin-off of companies from public research institutes is an important contribution to the transfer of knowledge and technology. Spin-offs carry knowledge, methods and specific technologies from the scientific arena into industry, and create commercial applications of the results of research. Until now, there has been no comprehensive data on how academic high-tech spin-offs perform in terms of turnover, profitability, employees and the R&D budget.

Therefore, this project investigates which enterprises are able to develop dynamically in terms of these parameters, and establishes why others stagnate after a successful starting phase. The study is restricted to technology-based spin-offs of non-university research institutes. These include spin-offs of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft and the Leibniz-Gemeinschaft.

The basic assumption is that management by the incubator organisation has a major impact on the economic development of a spin-off. A comparison of various high-tech spin-offs from different business and scientific environments will make it possible to draw conclusions on how to overcome problems in the spin-off process. In addition, the major success factors relating to the structuring of a company will be identified.

The methodological approach includes literature studies, standardised questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and expert workshops. Overall, the project aim is to help improve the spin-off process of German research institutes.

 

Project group