How engaging start-ups in research activities can lead to more effective technology and knowledge transfer from public research organisations

The role of public research organisations (PROs) has changed over the decades. They have engaged more in bringing new knowledge towards companies as a way to foster economic progress through technological renewal. The traditional response of PROs has been the creation of technology transfer offices, who have adopted a technology-push approach to bring new technologies to the market and foster (academic) entrepreneurship. This paper, by means of a case study in iMinds (a PRO on digital media and ICT in Belgium), presents a new approach, the so-called ‘flipped knowledge transfer approach’. By adopting this more market-driven approach to knowledge transfer, start-ups and SMEs in a region are reinforced and a fertile breeding ground for the creation of a regional cluster of innovation is fostered. This paper analyses the effects of such approach, and discusses the hurdles to implement it in other PRO settings.

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