THE EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY ORGANISATIONS

Internationalisation of RTOs

How to Work with International Research Cooperation in a Strategic/Systematised

Way?

ERRIN Event12 September 2017

Copenhagen EU Office, Brussels

Presentation by

Albert Van der SteenManager EU Affairs Strategy at TNO

EARTO Moto: Impact Delivered!EARTO Vision: Technology for a Better World

Understanding European RTOs

RTOs are key players in the innovation chain at local, national and European level

1. RTOs have high skilled staff conducting world class R&I offering professional skills to EU industry

2. RTOs secure innovation with strong IP

3. RTOs house various research infrastructures & demonstration facilities benefitting many stakeholders

RTOs are best positioned to transfer technology to Industry to develop their global competitiveness with concrete impact

Examples of RTOs Internationalisation

Internationalisation with geographical focus

(Latin America mainly)

• Offices in Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, France, Italy & Serbia

• Development of alliances in China, Mexico, Brazil, EEUU, Belgium

Internationalisation with specialisations

• Offices in Qatar, Singapore & Aruba

• Each branch office is specialised on some challenges

• Challenges for a Sustainable society

• Oil & gas industry

• Cyber security, smart cities and mobility

Internationalisation through a network

• Bi-lateral relations with:

• Scientific teams, institutional actors in the world (governments, universities, others RTOs, industry)

• Eg. Iseult project between NeuroSpin (DE) and CEA (FR)

• The internationalisation can take different forms:• Create branch offices• Lead joint R&D projects & cooperation with foreign peers• Exporting knowledge or products and services

• Many factors influence the degree of internationalisation of a RTO:• Size• Degree of autonomy• Mission• Sources & nature of funding

• 3 phases in the internationalisation process:• Identifying RTOs’ capabilities• Discovering new markets• Market consolidation

JRC Policy Brief: RTOs Internationalisation

JRC Policy Brief: Key Findings

• Internationalisation of RTOs is needed to:• Solve global societal challenges through collaboration

• Reduce the dependency of RTOs to their domestic market

• Internationalisation is a costly and risky process:• The returns of this strategy are not immediate

• Transnational networks are essential for successful internationalisation

• Each RTO needs to well assess its own capabilities, the risks, the costs and potential benefits of its internationalisation

• Support for direct joint programming and benchmarking studies could help RTOs in this process

JRC Policy Brief: Recommendations

For policy makers:• Building strong transnational networks is essential for successful internationalisation

• Too little discretionary core funding and other support from national governments can limit RTOs in their internationalisation strategies

• Support joint programming

For RTOs:• Link national/regional innovation system with international innovation chains

• Building critical mass and networks

• Look for international expansion to reduce their dependency on domestic funders and clients

• Assess capabilities, risks, costs and benefits of internationalisation

Barriers Against Internationalisation

• Organisational structures and capabilities of RTOs can affect the potential of internationalisation

• Funding dependence, mission and control from regional/national governments can hamper the internationalisation of RTOs

• Need of sufficient access to financial resources to ensure the high initial investments needed

• RTOs can face legal, administrative and fiscal barriers.

• Possibility to have a higher level of competition in international markets than in the domestic one

Smart Specialisation Strategies and Internationalisation

• RTOs are key actors in the core of regional economic ecosystems

• Contribute to entrepreneurial discovery process

• Important role in connecting actors

• Build research and technology capacities and contribute to technology transfer

• RTOs’ internationalisation begins in the Regions:

• Key role to support regional innovation ecosystems

• Smart Specialisation play an important role in the RTOs internationalisation process

• RTOs can support local businesses in their own internationalisation process

Knowledge Base

Government

Enterprises

RTOs

Expectation that SSS will be internationally connected and that innovative stakeholders will be networked at EU and global level

Future Developments for RTOs Internationalisation

• A higher degree of flexibility and autonomy• A higher amount of funding (RD&I programmes)• New benchmarking and policy instruments• Support RTOs involvement through different funding models• Support interventions to encourage collaboration between RTOs and SMEs• Connect innovation ecosystems• Improve Horizon 2020 incentives to collaborate at international level

EARTO October Events 2017 in Brussels

11 October 2017

• Policy Event: Towards FP9: Maximising R&I Impact to Ensure Europe’s Position As Global Player – 15.00-18.30 at BIP Info Place

• Innovation Awards – 18.30-21.00 at BELvueMuseum

12 October 2017

• EARTO High-Level Debate at the EU Week of Regions & Cities: Cohesion Policy Post-2020: Inter-regional collaboration of Innovation Hubs – 09.00-10.45 at Committee of the Regions Jacques Delors Building, JDE 51

EARTO Group on LinkedIn “Horizon 2020 – News & Views”

EARTO Twitter account @EARTOBrussels

Stay Tuned with the Latest R&I News!

News Section on EARTO Websitewww.earto.eu