Training Strategy for Innovation Brokers

Opening new markets for the industry is a challenge for innovation support systems and requires specific skills and knowledge. Effective structure of international trainings for innovation brokers should be built to ensure a flow of innovation from research infrastructures to industry.

Companies need support in contacting the science sector and the potential of European research infrastructures should be better exploited by the industry: it’s necessary to build a training system for Industry Liaison Officers (ILOs) and Industry Contact Officers (ICOs) in order to provide them with high-quality training and knowledge. Receiving support from both a national and international level would open an opportunity to smooth the flow of information between business and science, therefore increasing European companies’ innovation potential.

ENRIITC supports the establishment of strategic, cross-border partnerships between industry and research infrastructures and, under the project, the following were put in place:

1. An analysis of the current status of training opportunities and requirements for improved training, with primary information compiled from the ILO/ICO network;
2. The designing of a catalogue of hard and soft skills to be developed;
3. Recommendations provided for developing a pan-European network of innovation brokers.

The role of the pan-European network of innovation brokers is to:

• Build relationships between people;
• Exchange knowledge between RIs and the industry;
• Organise webinars, industry events and B2B meetings with RIs and the industry;
• Build international consortia with companies from different European countries;
• Engage small and medium size enterprises in the Big Science projects.

TRAINING FOR ILOs AND ICOs ACCORDING TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE:

The most important training courses for ILOs are the following (ranked by level of importance):

1. Procurement and tenders
2. Promotion of tenders and technologies from the RI
3. Organisation of brokerage events
4. Communication (not specific for promotion of tenders and technologies)
5. Obtaining funding
6. Aspects of intellectual property rights
7. Creation of an offer for industry

The most requested training courses for ICOs are the following (ranked by level of importance):

1. Obtaining funding
2. Selected aspects of international collaboration
3. Aspects of intellectual property rights
4. Developing soft skills – negotiations, presentation of the offer

Both groups indicated that they would like to receive training in the area of technology transfer.

You can learn more and check the ENRITC Deliverable 3.3 here.