Conference on research-based spin-offs in Paris
23 June 2009
Austria
The PICO project focuses on Research-Based Spin-Offs (RBSOs) (firms that are created around scientific knowledge generated in universities and public research organizations). The goal is to understand the conditions under which RBSOs effectively contribute to the generation of new knowledge, technologies, products, services and processes and its dissemination in the ecology in which they are embedded.
Over the past 15 years, various initiatives have been taken in Europe to foster the creation of Research-Based Spin-Off firms. The policy discourses have followed the same rationale where RBSOs are perceived as source of growth, of job creation, of regeneration of the industrial base, of the development of the competitiveness of regions, countries, Europe… But after 15 years of experience, the results are disappointing : the European RBSOs do not grow, they stay small firms (with 5 to 7 employees, 7 years after start-up); few are able to raise VC at start-up or to get a subsequent increase in capital after start-up ; very few have a successful IPO.
The PICO project has tried to bring a better understanding of:
- the diversity and of the different commercialisation strategy of the RBSOs,
- the link between their entrepreneurial strategy and their growth,
- the role they play in their ecology.
The four sessions of the workshop will address theses following issues:
1) RBSOs are heterogeneous companies in their knowledge production and transformation function. Session 1 will try to understand what factors lead to this heterogeneity in the performance of RBSO and what the influence of (technology) commercialisation strategy is.
2) One of the key weaknesses of EU countries lies in their limited ability to create a sufficient number of gazelles. Session 2 will examine the relationship between the entrepreneurial strategy of RBSOs and their growth.
3) The literature has examined what incumbent firms can bring to RBSOs. Session 3 will focus on the reverse question: what do RBSOs bring to their partners?
4) Some RBSOs make an exit through a trade sale. Session 4 will try to understand what they bring to their acquiring firm.
In other words, sessions 3 and 4 are going to ask the question of the role that RBSOs play in their ecology and thus investigate whether we can identify an alternative model to the gazelle or google-type companies.
For more information on conference: http://www.csi.ensmp.fr/WebCSI/PICO/picodisseminationComplete.html#forthcomingevents(opens in new window)
For more information on the project: http://www.csi.ensmp.fr/WebCSI/PICO/(opens in new window)
Over the past 15 years, various initiatives have been taken in Europe to foster the creation of Research-Based Spin-Off firms. The policy discourses have followed the same rationale where RBSOs are perceived as source of growth, of job creation, of regeneration of the industrial base, of the development of the competitiveness of regions, countries, Europe… But after 15 years of experience, the results are disappointing : the European RBSOs do not grow, they stay small firms (with 5 to 7 employees, 7 years after start-up); few are able to raise VC at start-up or to get a subsequent increase in capital after start-up ; very few have a successful IPO.
The PICO project has tried to bring a better understanding of:
- the diversity and of the different commercialisation strategy of the RBSOs,
- the link between their entrepreneurial strategy and their growth,
- the role they play in their ecology.
The four sessions of the workshop will address theses following issues:
1) RBSOs are heterogeneous companies in their knowledge production and transformation function. Session 1 will try to understand what factors lead to this heterogeneity in the performance of RBSO and what the influence of (technology) commercialisation strategy is.
2) One of the key weaknesses of EU countries lies in their limited ability to create a sufficient number of gazelles. Session 2 will examine the relationship between the entrepreneurial strategy of RBSOs and their growth.
3) The literature has examined what incumbent firms can bring to RBSOs. Session 3 will focus on the reverse question: what do RBSOs bring to their partners?
4) Some RBSOs make an exit through a trade sale. Session 4 will try to understand what they bring to their acquiring firm.
In other words, sessions 3 and 4 are going to ask the question of the role that RBSOs play in their ecology and thus investigate whether we can identify an alternative model to the gazelle or google-type companies.
For more information on conference: http://www.csi.ensmp.fr/WebCSI/PICO/picodisseminationComplete.html#forthcomingevents(opens in new window)
For more information on the project: http://www.csi.ensmp.fr/WebCSI/PICO/(opens in new window)