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 to industry and commercially apply research results. Up to now, there is no comprehensive data on how academic high-tech spin-offs develop 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 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