Role of Regional Research Institutes : Coordination of technology-intensive organizations and smaller businesses

Abstract

The authors have been examining problems in technology transfer from universities and national and regional research laboratories to smaller local businesses in three aspects: (1) Ways of providing research results of the organizations (2) Views and behavior of the companies with respect to technology management (3) Cooperation of the institutes with businesses for technology transfer The present report reviews our results regarding the first aspect above. The study revealed that regional research institutes need to expand their capability in technical consulting by cooperation with other technology-intensive organizations to respond to needs enhanced by changes in industry structure. This cooperation will also help transfer of more advanced technologies to small- and medium-sized businesses. For example, Technology Research Institute of Osaka Prefecture resorts to external organizations for about 2% of its consulting items. While such cooperation will bring immediate advantages to all of the parties concerned for subjects related to manufacture or assembly, some promotion measures are needed for transfer of more advanced technologies.