Research design

Over 300 non-university research institutes operate in Germany, some with an outstanding international reputation, contributing considerably to the excellent scientific work carried out here. The realisation that the future wealth of society depends on how effectively these resources can be transferred into other areas of society, in particular the private sector, has hit home with decision-makers in politics, science and business and has resulted in significant increases in public funding.

Enabling Innovation is research project supported by the German Ministry of Education and Research. It is examining the interface between science and other areas of society in the context of non-university research institutions. The focus is on those processes, structures and methods relevant to successful technology transfers, both inside such units within their sphere of influence. Our research design is distinguished by its attempt to compile all significant variables influencing the degree of success of the utilisation of research output by non-university research institutions and to narrow down clearly defined success factors in a conceptually compact way using a broad database of primary statistics.

The success factors are the central element in the development of instruments that provide research institutes of all kinds with the analytical, conceptual and methodological means with which to systematically optimise their own ability to use these.

Designed as a joint project, we and our partner – the German Aerospace Centre – focused from the outset on actively involving relevant players from the field of technology transfer in the research process. In this way, we wish to promote acceptance as early as possible, given its importance in the later dispersion of the instrument, but also obtain important information for our theoretical framework and the design of the field research.

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