Project Partners

Hamburg - TuTech Innovation (DE)

TuTech was formed in 1992 as the first private technology transfer company founded by a German university. Together with its sister company Hamburg Innovation it serves all Hamburg's universities in technology transfer and industrial liaison matters. Since universities are under the financial and organisational control of the Länder in Germany, TuTech performs many tasks for the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (FHH) as part of a knowledge economy development remit. This includes running the Patent Exploitation Agency for all Hamburg's universities land the Hamburg Start-Up Programme. Through participation on behalf of the FHH in the RoK pilot project Baltic Sea Knowledge Regions, TuTech is playing a pivotal role for FHH in developing international relations relating to clustering. TuTech's model of working and particularly that of the EU Office is recognised nationally. TuTech is often called upon to present research project management and technology transfer best practice in Germany and in other parts of Europe including in the New Member States. TuTech has played an active role in various stakeholder meetings to discuss the objectives and future direction of the RoK Action, and dissemination. TuTech Innovation is also heavily involved in the Interreg Programme with currently a portfolio of eight projects.

Interlace-Invent Aps (DK)

Interlace-invent ApS is a research-based consultancy firm in Copenhagen with regional offices in Barcelona, London, Stockholm, Tallinn and Sophia-Antipolis which serves international clients in Europe, Asia and Africa. Interlace is specialised in the development of business-related networks of innovation, high-tech clusters, science parks and other innovation environments in the urban spatial setting drawing on extensive research experience. The Interlace approach to innovation is implemented by expertise in the realms of Knowledge Management, Innovation Economics, Urbanism and Architecture, Place-Branding, Investment Strategy, and Management of Technology and Innovation.
Coordinated jointly with the Copenhagen Business School, Interlace-invent maintains an extensive research network (called "Hubs&Regions"), which includes 35 leading institutions in Europe and North America and 69 individual researchers, dedicated to the understanding of the "City-Hub" phenomenon in a globalizing economy, where selected cities and their regions are studied as dynamic transaction points in the increasingly knowledge-intensive economy. The network is endorsed by more than 30 stakeholders, including OECD, cities such as Copenhagen and Barcelona, and large business corporations.
As a further resource for this project, Interlace-invent will provide a Cluster Database of over 1050 publications, articles, research papers and so-called "grey" papers (intended for briefing purposes) that serves as a continually growing source of up-to-date, specialized knowledge on R&D, innovation and economic growth at the regional, national and global levels.

CEU Consulting - Central European University Share Company

CEU Consulting is a consultancy organisation with the mission of promoting the specific knowledge, experience and know-how present at the Central European University (CEU). The organisation offers consulting services (comparative analyses and policy) and project management on a wide range of subjects relevant to regional development. CEU Consulting can draw on the exceptionally widespread academic and policy-making network of CEU in Central and Eastern Europe as well as in the US, UK and Germany. Clients include well-known international donor organisations, NGOs, governmental and municipal bodies as well as private entities.
CEU Consulting has been participating in a large number of development projects both at national and international levels. The organisation implemented a number of EC-funded projects including providing technical assistance and training for the Interreg programme and project development preparing potential beneficiaries (with the main focus on local and regional decentralised bodies, e.g. Regional and County Development Agencies). Also, the programme aimed to rebuild and develop cross-border co-operation among strategically important border regions, those constituting the interface between `old` and `new` member states, where the challenges of enlargement will be felt the most.

Technology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic

Technology Centre AS CR, established as a separate legal entity in 1994, is the National Information Centre for European Research. It works on analytical and strategic studies in RTD and innovation, and trans-national technology transfer. Its main activities comprise: National Information Centre for European Research, including information and advisory services related to the EU Framework Programmes; monitoring Czech participation in international research cooperation programmes; coordination and methodical management of the national information network NINET; Technology Transfer, Strategic Studies and Projects and Regional Development.
Technology Centre works in a close cooperation with the Council for Research and Development and ministries (especially with the Ministry of Education which is in charge of research, also with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and lately also with the Ministry for Regional Development). As for the regional authorities: a closer cooperation has been developed with the municipal council of the Capital Prague (especially on developing the Regional Innovation Strategy for the Prague Region in 2001-2004), with CzechInvest (Investment and Business Development Agency of the Ministry of Industry and Trade) as well as with the Centre for Regional Development of the Czech Republic of the Ministry for Regional Development).
Recent projects include: Strategic Studies for RTD - research plan (2004-2008) - a research project focused on creating qualified information sources for decision-makers which enable them to make informed decisions in shaping national research and innovation policies.; Barriers to the Growth of Competitiveness of the Czech Republic (2004-2005) - the objective of the project was to identify barriers to the growth of competitiveness based on innovation; Bohemian Regional Innovation Strategy - BRIS (2001-2004) to design a regional innovation strategy for the region of Prague and the region of Pilsen, respectively, aimed at supporting cooperation between research and business.

Pôle Universitaire Européen de Toulouse (FR)

The Réseau Universitaire Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées is a wide & regional consortium of research and university entities, socio-economic partners represented by the Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and local and regional authorities involved in higher education and research issues. RUTMiP is an expanding and strong network of 25 regional partners. The core mission is to promote the role of Toulouse universities to the cause of knowledge based economic development and international networking. Recent projects include those involving cross-border co-operation especially with close lying regions such as Catalonia, but also further afield with Alexandria and India. RUTMiP supports academic entrepreneurship and is heavily involved in Framework projects in support of the development of the European Research Area.

Culminatum Ltd Oy Helsinki Region Centre of Expertise

Culminatum Ltd Oy - Helsinki Region Centre of Expertise was established in 1995 to implement the national Centre of Expertise programme in the Uusimaa region and to serve as a joint instrument of regional development for its owners. This Programme promotes utilisation of the highest international standard of knowledge and expertise in business, job creation and regional development. Culminatum Ltd Oy seeks to improve the international competitiveness of the Uusimaa region and to encourage the business utilisation of the region's educational, scientific and research resources. The company is owned by the Uusimaa Regional Council, the city authorities of Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa and the universities, polytechnics, research institutes and business community of the region.

Oxford Science Enterprise Centre, Saïd Business School (UK)

Oxford Science Enterprise Centre is part of the Said Business School at Oxford, and operates as part of Oxford University's Knowledge Transfer strategy. It offers business training for scientists, plus networks & seminars at the interface between science and business. It draws together the regional science community and researchers in the University, to foster new venture creation in science and technology.
OxSEC works in conjunction with Isis Innovation, which is one of the leading UK technology transfer offices. The University's 41 spinouts have a current market capitalisation of over £2 billion. It works closely with the connections to the clusters, science parks and development agencies in the region, as well as networks of high-tech companies.
The Said Business School is the nodal point in a complex pattern of overlapping networks in and around Oxford. These networks span knowledge-based industries, University and international corporations. Across all areas, the School is showing strong growth and thousands of business people, students and scientists have been involved in our programmes.

Erasmus University Rotterdam (NL)

Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) at Erasmus University Rotterdam is one of Europe's top business schools: Since the 1960s, RSM has acquired a long standing expertise on internationally operating firms. Research on multinationals firms in both their global and local embeddedness has been a feature of RSM during more than two decades. At RSM's Department of Business-Society Management (BSM), the SCOPE International Business Competence Centre maintains a number of up-to-date databases that document the internationalisation of the economy and details on the accompanying business development and strategies of so-called "core companies" (large, technology-intensive multinationals). These databases form a sound basis for comparative research on a number of development issues. Since many years, the BSM Department conducts studies of regional and sector economies across Europe. Science-based or high-tech industrial studies within the global and local contexts have been a long-term specialty of SCOPE, while linking these studies at the intersection of State-Market-Civil Society. SCOPE has access to some of the most R&D resource-full companies based in the Benelux countries, and it has close working relationships with regional authorities across the Netherlands and in various parts of Europe. The LOCOMOTIVE project will benefit from the full access to these databases through the team of experts at the RSM. SCOPE collaborates with international organizations for annual investments reports and other timely topics of broader interest.