EIMS study on technology brokers in Europe: Summary

The European Commission, DG XIII, has published the results of a European Innovation Monitoring System (EIMS) study on the current state of development of technology brokerage services throughout the European Union. The findings of the study are published in three volumes: -...

The European Commission, DG XIII, has published the results of a European Innovation Monitoring System (EIMS) study on the current state of development of technology brokerage services throughout the European Union.

The findings of the study are published in three volumes:

- Technology Brokers in Europe: Summary (Volume 1);
- Technology Brokers in Europe: European Union, USA and Japan national reports (Volume 2);
- Technology Brokers in Europe: Directory (Volume 3).

Technology brokerage is one segment of the technology transfer services sector. The EIMS survey covered 336 technology brokerage service providers in twelve countries. These are listed in the EIMS Directory of Technology Brokers (Vol. 3/3).

The summary of the study (Vol. 1/1) includes:

- The objectives and methodology of the study;
- Definitions used;
- The main study findings;
- Recommendations;
- An overview of the general structure of the profession in Europe.

The technology brokers' roles are analyzed with regard to structure, range of activities and the significance and evolution of the profession within the wider framework of technology development services.

The report concludes that although the steady growth of private and public laboratory research activities, both in volume and in complexity, offers SMEs an increasing number of technological opportunities, the costs and risks involved leave very little margin for error. In this context, professional technology brokers may provide an essential contribution to companies, in particular SMEs, wishing to better explore the output of their research activities, as well as those needing to diversify, by helping them to tap the resources of already developed technologies as a substitute for costly and risky R&D.

It should be noted that the development of technology brokerage services has been encouraged for several years now by both national governments and, at European Level, by the Community's Strategic Programme for Innovation and Technology Transfer (SPRINT).