During the meeting in Lulea, Sweden on November 24-26, 2009 the BONITA (Baltic Organisation and Network of Innovation Transfer and Associations) project partners have discussed the evaluation, adaptation and implementation of the Transfer Model being developed during the project. Project partners discussed also showrooms, training & coaching programmes to be developed within the project, as well as the establishment of a transnational network.
Research cooperation as well as knowledge transfer between public research organisations and industry is insufficiently developed within the European innovation system. To develop the Baltic Sea Region into a high-tech region the available scientific knowledge needs to be successfully transferred into practice. Even though universities are important developers of new technologies and products their innovations often are not transferred for commercialization. This can be explained by lack of facilitating structures and underdeveloped commercial mindsets of academic staff. At the same time vast innovation potential of SMEs is not exploited due to missing resources.
BONITA partnership among universities, public authorities, research and technological development supporters from Denmark, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Sweden addresses these deficiencies by bridging the knowledge gaps between universities, laboratories, industrial actors and policy makers. The project consortium represents a mix of institutions responsible for regional technology transfer.
Within project activities existing technology and innovation transfer models throughout the Baltic Sea Region will be evaluated in order to set up an enhanced transfer model as adequate technology facilitating structure. Accompanying trainings will be carried out upgrading capacities of personal in charge of implementing the enhanced transfer model. Additionally an ad hoc created BONITA company will be used as operational branch supporting the established network of organisations and specialist working with the enhanced transfer model. The company�s main activity will be commercial exploitation and promotion of transnational research findings obtained during and after the project. Virtual exhibition and showrooms combining the findings will be used to practically demonstrate how research results in the field of mobile and wearable computing devices can be used for marketing and as forum for stakeholders.
The �BONITA� project consortium represents a mix of institutions responsible for regional technology transfer from 8 countries in the Baltic Sea Region. The project has been financed by the European Union�s Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007-2013.