Abilities and competencies required, particularly by small firms, to identify and acquire new technology

Imagine an organisation faced with a particular problem whose solution requires a degree of technology or expertise not available in-house. Where can the organisation find help? Large companies are generally self sufficient in their RD understand which factors affect the identification and selection of new technology, particularly by small firms (SMEs); analyse the obstacles to technology transfer between universities and SMEs; and examine the feasibility of an electronic communication network for disseminating information about new technologies. The first part of the paper uses the idea of "configuring the user" to shed light on recent thinking (especially in government and policy) about "the problem of SMEs". The second part reports our investigation of the potential of the World Wide Web as a virtual market in technology and expertise. We conclude with some suggestions about ways of tackling the problem.