IT Spin-Offs into the European Research Framework: An Innovative Configuration

Abstract

In the current context, characterized by a sort of ‘open innovation’, spin-offs phenomenon represents an innovative approach to support technological knowledge transfer and innovation processes from research organizations to industrial world. Furthermore, spin-offs could be considered an innovative strategy to follow up the results obtained within collaborative R&D (Research and Development) projects. In view of these phenomena, this paper analyzes IT spin-offs created by European cooperative research projects, as an innovative strategy to follow up research outcomes. After providing a classification of the different spin-off configurations, the paper designs an innovative inter-organizational configuration of spin-offs coming from research activities. The LD-CAST case study, concerning an European research co-operative project in the fields of egovernment and transnational knowledge, close the work showing how the spin-off strategy may be used to exploit innovative interoperable e-business services