The World BankKnowledge Economy Forum

Technology Absorption by Innovative SMEsAncona 17 June 2008

PLENARY SESSION IIIClusters & Integrating SMEs  in Global Supply

Chains

Prof.Patrizio Bianchi

Rector University of Ferrara, Italy

Opportunities and limits of SMEs and Industrial Districts in Western Countries are very well-known by the literature

We know in particular problems related to innovation

Industrial district advantages have to be redefined in the new economic geography and in the new technological framework

New entrants are changing the global game

Organization of production vs. extent of the market

Global Supply Value chains

The case of specialized town of GuangDong

The case of Specialized Town of GuangDong

• 70 specialised towns officially recognised by Guangdong Government in 2002;

• 220 specialised towns today;• Most new towns are recognised in the Northern part of

the Province, in rural and less developed areas;• New towns are recognised also in the Pearl River Delta

region in high-tech sectors;• Specialised towns become an instrument of industrial

policy to promote innovation (innovation centres; projects for town-universities collaborations ect.)

GUANGZHOU

Massive investment for university to support industry reorganization

New university town

Universities in Italy

94 UNIVERSITIES:

66 STATE UNIVERSITIES among which 3 POLYTECHNICS 2 UNIVERSITIES FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS 6 SPECIAL SCHOOLS

17 NON-STATE UNIVERSITIES (legally recognized)

11 "OPEN UNIVERSITIES“

The role of university in industrial development

Internationalization of Italian university system as a

whole.

Improving the relations between university system and industrial system

The relation between university and industrial development depends on:

1) the effective role played by the local university systems in the formation and training of ruling class 2) the industrial structure and the its evolutionary pathway in the open economy

Main actors in research andtechnological development activities:

- universities - public research institutes - private companies- local institutions

ILO = Industrial Liaison Office(within the universities)

They deal with matters as:

- technological transfer - spin-off - incubators - patents - intellectual property rights

ILO’s birth date (n=39), Netval report 2007

51

57

4

911

6

1

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Prima del

2000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Num

ero

di u

nive

rsità

Anno di istituzione dell'UTT - Freq. Cum. Anno di istituzione dell'UTT - Freq. Ass.

Universities also participates in many activities with external partners

technological districts (12 regional areas)

science and technology parks: environment, biotechnology, telecommunication, hi-tech, multimedia

Centre of excellence 23 in biotechnology and biomedicine 7 in new materials 7 in economics and the social sciences 4 in environmental studies 2 in logistics 2 in ICT

Networking and partnership

Spin-off’s birth date in Italy (n=549), Netval report, 2007

5 6 916

116

11

21

39

2824

54

76 78

103

62

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Fino al1980

1981-1985

1986-1990

1991-1995

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007(provv.)

Num

ero

di im

pres

e

Geographical distribution in Italy (n=539), Netval report 2007

19,1%

12,6%

11,7%

9,3%

5,9%

4,8%

4,8%

4,6%

4,1%

3,5%

3,3%

3,3%

2,8%

2,8%

2,6%

2,0%

1,7%

0,4%

0,2%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

EMILIA-ROMAGNA

LOMBARDIA

TOSCANA

PIEMONTE

VENETO

PUGLIA

UMBRIA

MARCHE

LIGURIA

TRENTINO

CALABRIA

FRIULI

CAMPANIA

LAZIO

SARDEGNA

SICILIA

ABRUZZO

MOLISE

BASILICATA

% di imprese

36,2%

14,6%

13,3%

12,3%

8,1%

7,6%

5,3%

1,9%

0,8%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

ICT

Life sciences

Energia e Ambiente

Elettronica

Servizi per l'innovazione

Biomedicale

Automazione industriale

Nanotecnologie

Aerospaziale

% di imprese

Spin-off’s Industrial Sector (n=427), Netval Report, 2007

Emilia Romagna policies toward SMEs innovations

• Spinner Programme, to favour the process of spin off creation inside universities and research centres

• Aster, the university, enterpriese, regional administration agency for innovation and technology transfer

• PRRIITT, Regional program for industrial research, innovation, and technology transfer, to create a network of univertsities, companies, institutions to support research, development and technology diffusion, in particular to SMEs

The case of University of Ferrara, founded in 1391

Copernicus was graduated in Ferrara in 1503

Nowaday Ferrara has 17.050 students

730 professors

600 junior researcher and doctorate students

8 faculties and 44 courses

The Institute of advanced studies IUSS supports 20 doctorate prgrammes

Giving value to research

Industrial liaison office, directly depending from the Rector

Cittec, centre for technology transfer, with the local institutions and the entrepeneurial associations

2 incubators, with 20 spin off companies

Consorzio Ferrara Ricerche, involving directly companies

3 technopoles, part of the regional program

Andamento del valore dei contratti (K€)

6281064

21252660

3904

5523 5436 5486 55466058

65927105

8307 8186

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Andamento % della acquisizione di

risorse pubbliche e private

% Risorse private

% Risorse pubbliche

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Science-tech campus

Agro-industrial campus

Chimbiomed campus

Clinical campus and new hospital

Cultural heritage, economic, law campus

THE UNIVERSITY TOWN

Final remarks

• Global value chains can be enriched by relations with university system, on both sides of research and education

• Emilia Romagna has invested massevely in this direction, involving SMEs in the enrichment process

• The case of Ferrara

The University of Ferrara:

since 1391 we look forward

Ancona, 17 JUne 2008