Title: New entrepreneurial behaviour of public research organisations: opportunities and threats of technological services supply

Authors: Mario Coccia, Secondo Rolfo

Addresses: Italian National Research Council, Ceris-CNR, Via Real Collegio, 30 – 10024 Moncalieri, Italy; Max Planck Institute of Economics, Germany. ' Italian National Research Council, Ceris-CNR, Via Real Collegio, 30 – 10024 Moncalieri, Italy

Abstract: Public research labs play a fundamental role in modern economies to increase, through knowledge and technology transfer, the economic growth of countries. The paper analyses new organisation of the biggest public research body in Italy, based on project management, designed with an explicit aim to transform this research institution in entrepreneurial organisation, providing technological services and applied research to external subjects such as firms, public administration, etc. New matrix structure of the public research organisation – technological services-oriented – creates structural deficiencies, coordination problems, as well as problems of defining the extent of the project manager|s authority over staff from other departments. In addition this new structure has been decreasing scientific production of institutes which reduces the efficiency of overall national system of innovation.

Keywords: technological services; marketisation; entrepreneurial behaviour; public research laboratories; project management; entrepreneurship; knowledge transfer; technology transfer; Italy; national system of innovation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTM.2010.029674

International Journal of Services Technology and Management, 2010 Vol.13 No.1/2, pp.134 - 151

Published online: 30 Nov 2009 *

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