(per) Flying in the face of the naysayers, the ETH Domain leads the pack in Switzerland in the area of knowledge and technology transfer (KTT) to commercial enterprises. This is one of the results of the current study carried out by the ETH Swiss Institute for Business Cycle Research (KOF), which has investigated KTT activities between Swiss universities and firms. In arriving at its results, the KOF evaluated data from more than 2,500 Swiss businesses and 240 research facilities in response to a questionnaire circulated between 2002 and 2004. Yesterday, the KOF published its findings(1).

EETH Domain is the most important partner

According to the study, ETH Zurich plays a leading role in KTT. One-third of the firms polled maintain contact with ETH Zurich, a good quarter with EMPA, and just a fifth with EPFL. This brings the market share of the entire ETH Domain to 57 percent and makes it the most important partner of KTT-active companies. The colleges of higher education are also significant partners in the KTT dialogue: 56 percent of the polled companies maintain contact with a college of higher education.

Twenty-eight percent of the firms are involved in KTT with universities. In the highly innovative branches and industrial sectors, which utilise the latest developments and technologies, the percentage rises to 40. The intensity of KTT is directly linked to the size of the company: the bigger the enterprise, the more contacts it has with universities. Almost every second big company polled in the KOF questionnaire said they carry on KTT with the universities, something only one-quarter of the small companies can “afford”. The current survey also reveals that chemical, pharmaceutical, electronic, and instruments firms, as well as companies providing associated services, are those most heavily involved in KTT.

Greater work productivity, thanks to KTT

But how does KTT function in practice? Companies rely on a variety of channels. Sixty percent of the activity is based on informal, personal contacts, aimed at obtaining general information relating to technological opportunities and possibilities. Education is valued similarly highly, while joint research activities appear to be less important: only 18 percent of the companies choose this route for their KTT.

The KOF study makes it clear that firms which are engaged in knowledge and technology transfer also benefit greatly from it. KTT bolsters the innovation capacity of a company in the form of new products, increased export or cost-saving production techniques. Good news for upper management: companies that engage in KTT show a seven-percent higher rate of work productivity than comparable firms that do not.

But it’s not all sunshine

The KOF study also reveals weaknesses. The most significant obstacles to KTT lie, for example, with the interface between companies and research institutes. Many firms, particularly those without KTT activities, believe that their own research issues are uninteresting to scientific institutes. On the other hand, companies also consider the research orientation of institutes not interesting or practical enough. In addition, companies find that funds for KTT activities are lacking.

Several weeks ago, representatives of the mechanical engineering industry complained that ETH produced some excellent research that was not very useful to the commercial sector. Representatives of the chemical industry, however, were of another opinion and gave ETH high marks (2). The new KOF study now proves that ETH knowledge and technology transfers well to the commercial sector.