Implementation Process

The outcomes of the combined efforts of the OnLi network are four applications along the concept of 'Intelligent Cities'. Each technology park participating in the network is developing a three level construction combining technology transfer services, virtual tools for innovation and technology transfer, and integration of real and virtual practices.

• OnLi starts from the services currently offered by the four technology parks. These cover the main domains of technology transfer: technology watch, technology evaluation, technology audit, technology clinics, innovation financing, and promotion of innovation. Each network partner is focusing in one area corresponding to existing expertise and services.
• The second level is a virtual system is composed of Internet and innovation management tools, through which the users can instantly access on-line innovation management tools, technology matches, training, consultancy, self-assessment, success stories, best practices, and information links. The system integrates fragmented expertise and creates a showcase for European best practices with each partner integrating their expertise. The virtual application includes also general information on issues relating to innovations and technological developments in specific thematic areas, access to case studies and best practice, links to other web sites providing relevant information, data base screening and analysis of information on new technologies available on various databases, on-line consultancy services relating to the establishment of innovative firms, and promotion of innovation within the organisation, and on-line training on issues relating to the above mentioned thematic categories.
• The third level is the integration of the real and virtual innovation services, and mainly the adaptation and adjustment to the particularities of the environments of the participating countries. It is a critical step towards achieving full, on-line, consultancy services. The need for on-line consultancy and real time problem solving is well documented in the literature. Even though the state of the art in Internet technology might allow such a service to be provided, the technology is still at an immature stage and has not yet become mainstream. What is more important in this case though is that companies and end users are not familiar with these services and are often opting for training and guidance.

The process for achieving the above-described construction of four intelligent parks is illustrated in the following diagram.

The ONLI network

Starting point is the definition of technology transfer modules that constitute the core of this activity. The selection of the six modules (technology watch, clinics, etc.) corresponds to typical practices of technology transfer, and is based on the suggestions of the partners and the shortlist of tools used in the modules. Technology audit, in example, is a key element of technology transfer and a series of structured questionnaires and interviews are used as auditing tools. The same approach of deconstruction was already applied in the project InnoRegio for the definition of a virtual regional innovation system.

Once the core modules of technology transfer were selected, the network started to work on the construction of a virtual system. The first task was to create a toolbox including online software entities for technology transfer. All the partners contributed with the selection of appropriate methodologies and software. Then, the virtual toolbox was centrally developed, and was composed of six tools covering the areas of technology watch, technology evaluation, audit, technology clinics, innovation financing, and marketing of innovation. The toolbox is addressed to SMEs and technology intermediaries, and the user may work at different levels of complexity. For instance, an SME with low level of technical expertise may use online the technology evaluation tool and assess technologies available on the market through a cost-benefit approach. A more experienced consultant or technology broker may use the tool to examine existing and potential technology processes, and look further at the implementation and functioning conditions.

The toolbox is the central piece in the construction of virtual technology parks, but the parks have to make a step forward and customise the toolbox to the specific environment of each participating country. Each technology park has to adapt all of the tools selected to the particularities of the operating environment in his/her country considering differences in the business and socio-economic environment. The result of this stage is a web application, a virtual technology park by each partner, including all tools adjusted to the partner country peculiarities, the web linking software tool, and the training tool software.

The final step is the integration of real and virtual parks. Each of the four technology parks of the network has to connect the real technology transfer services to the virtual technology transfer application. Integration is to prepare the personnel, procedures, services, and marketing profile of the technology parks to work with the virtual park. It means training of the personnel, promotion of the new online services, making of demos, organise demonstration meetings with customers. A this stage, the human community of each technology park, but also the managers of companies located outside the park, dispose a virtual environment which multiplies the efficiency of their work, supplying with advanced capability to resolve technology transfer problems in the areas of watch, evaluation, marketing, financing, and other.