抄録
This paper shows that the functions of the intermediate organization in the evolution of the industrial system by focusing on Interuniversity MicroElectronics Center (IMEC, Belgium) that is an international non-profit research and development (R&D) center of the semiconductor industry IMEC performs three functions. First, the organization independently functions in the intermediate domain that is neither private domain nor public domain. That is, the organization is different from a private company, a national institute or a university. To access cutting-age R&D resources around the globe and to form flexible partnership, it needs to act on its own initiative without being bounded by government policies and corporate interests. Second, the organization constructs global partnerships among private businesses. It functions not by further tightening limited coalitions among participating companies but by generating new inter-business relationships. To make an open relationship building process, the organization has the unique intellectual property management system in its R&D program. The system makes it easier to access partners' achievements. And by using this unique system, the organization accumulate R&D results among partners, as it opens the way for sharing contexts with partners and for bringing them into the next set of R&D activities. Third, the organization acts as a node for setting up partnerships between the public domain (e.g. universities) and private domain (e.g. companies). By conducting pre-competitive R&D, it bridges the gap between them. This paper explains that the intermediate organization effectively functions in the evolution of the industrial system by focusing on IMEC. The organization enables to tie-up companies partnerships and business-academia collaboration by proactively offering R&D programs in the intermediate domain.
