The vision of our arising information society is not yet clear. It will
change continuously and the gaps between vision and reality will remain.
But the convergence or the divergency of these counterparts will be highly
influenced and impressed by several factors you may find looking around.
One of these factors can be identified as the process of technology transfer.
The quality of conducting sucessful transfer from research to industry is
mainly depending on the value of the output of our research and development
activities on the one side and the different tools to put these results
into practice.
In the context of our workshop here in Sophia-Antipolis I would like to
give you an example of a new instrument of technology transfer in our research
center. This special view will be concentrated on an interface between research
activities of a large scale research institution as a source of innovation
and the transfer process of application oriented research and development
results to the market. In addition to the main market players in information
technologies, SME will play an important role in this process. Therefore
it will be necessary, to increase the transfer process from research projects
to SME. In this sense it has to become an essential objective of the involved
research institutions in all countries. This applies to GMD as well.
GMD is the German National Research Center for Information Technology. It
is one of 16 large scale research centers in Germany, but the only one concentrated
clearly on the fields of information technology, telecommunication and media.
With its staff of about 1200 employees, more then half of them are researchers,
it conducts research aiming at the development of innovative methods and
applications. Our total annual budget is nearly 170 Mio DM and we are located
in Sankt Augustin near Bonn, in Darmstadt and in Berlin. GMD's main research
areas are System Design Technology, Communication and Cooperation, Intelligent
Multimedia Systems and Parallel Computing.
All these research fields are very close directed to application and to
the IT-market of the future. That means, that most of the results of these
activities may influence to a certain extent the positive or negative development,
the acceptance, the chances and the risks of our arising information society.
One thing we as researchers or research institutions can do among others
to foster the positive factors of such a development, is to find new ways
and means of communication and cooperation with developers, manufacturers
and users of information and telecommunication technology. On this way I
think we have to increase our efforts towards several directions. Which
are those directions and where do they lead?
Firstly, we have to intensify our contacts, cooperation and collaboration
with industry, that means manufacturers of hard- and software or telecommunication,
service providers and consultants. I am aware of a lot of common projects,
all research centers are running with national and international industrial
partners and I know the various contacts between researchers of our institution
and a widespread range of external partners. But nevertheless the readiness
to cooperation must be seen as a matter of course independent of the particular
fields of work. It has to become a part of our philosophy and thus an integrated
part of our activities in research and development.
Secondly, we have to bring clother together research and the users of our
results more intensively than it used to happen in the past. To meet the
needs of the users of information and telecommunication technology, to become
acquainted with real user problems, should leed to research approaches which
are more demand driven than technology driven. We have to come to a better
and more profound understanding of the requirements of the different user
groups in order to provide adequate and user-oriented solutions.
On this background we should take the chance to create new markets and new
innovative potential. Compared to traditional and well known products, technology
as a certain kind of product and output of a research institute is much
more difficult to be discribed and defined and to be understood. The different
expectations, advantages and also problems and risks are needed to be discussed
and explained more intensively among researchers and users. On such a base
we may find an appropriate committment of understanding between research
and application.
Thirdly, we should find sufficient instruments to integrate SME into these
development and transfer processes. In the past above all the main players
and international companies were normaly seen as the natural partners of
institutes like GMD, but not SME. This visual angle has to be changed. Despite
a growing global market and the irreversible process of concentration of
the main players in the arena of information technology, SME are going to
play an important role to create our future information society. In many
sectors they will prove more flexible and adaptive than large companies,
they will find the right places in the developing markets. Concerning transformation
and adaptation of high sophisticated technology into acceptable use and
products of these technologies, especially SME will function as a kind of
agent and personal consultant in these application processes.
Forthly, we must try to initiate or to intensify contacts between SME at
home and abroad. As the traditional market places of many SME, especially
in the mentioned areas, are mainly focussed on regional or at most national
markets and partners, this seems to be a pretentious and difficult task.
But nevertheless the common European market as well as the existing international
networks call for such international partnerships of SME. How to implement
an instrument to facilitate such cooperations I would like to give a hint
later on.
Fifthly, we have to foster the creation and development of new high tech
companies, so called spin-offs, founded by former employees of our research
centers. With a high motivation to take the chance for new and innovative
work, spin-off enterprises form a valuable link in the process of technology
transfer between research, industry and the market. The sucess of spin-offs
does not only depend on finding the right niche in the market. The appropriate
environment, a close connection to the mother institute and by this a continuing
link to new technologies arising in these institutes are also vital for
such young companies.
What is finaly necessary to accelerate the process of technology transfer
and cooperation between the different partners is to provide appropriate
and accepted communication networks consisting of different elements. One
key element is a platform for personal discussion, communication and common
collaborative work. The second one is an electronic based network depending
on the different regional, national and international requirements. In this
context the existing and coming multimedia tools have to be integrated into
these communication networks.
All these above mentioned aspects of an effective and sufficiant transfer
and innovation process may also contribute to another effect: The restructuring
or revitalisation of a region. Let me give you a short example. As you may
know, the government of Germany in 1991 decided to relocate the Parliament
and main parts of the Government from Bonn to Berlin, starting at the end
of this century. This movement of about 20 000 people and jobs will cause
an enormous intervention in the economical and social structures of the
region of Bonn. So it will be necessary to restructure this region very
intensively. As more then 90 % of the companies of this region are SME,
the restructuring process has to be based on this economic fundament. To
strengthen the existing SME and to create a positive environment to settle
and found new high tech companies has to be an adequate answer to master
this challenging and critical situation.
As GMD is one of the main players in the fields of information technology
and telecommunication and is situated with its headquarters and four of
its institutes in the Bonn region it has to play its particular part at
the restructuring process towards a future oriented high tech region in
these key technology areas. As a well defined contribution to all the above
mentioned aspects GMD has founded a TechnoPark on its campus in Sankt Augustin.
How does the GMD TechnoPark work, what is it providing and what are the
main benefits for GMD, for its partners and the region?
Concentrating on the key sector of information technology, telecommunication
and media the TechnoPark is opened up to the three following primary target
groups:
It provides firstly a home for the R&D departments of larger and established,
but also young and innovative business enterprises, and offers them attractive
working conditions and the opportunity to work closely together with similar
project areas. The enterprises occupying the TechnoPark are coming from
all branches of information and communication technology and include both
manufacturers and R&D-intensive users of these technologies.
Because of its many contacts to the national and international information
technology scene, GMD TechnoPark is also an excellent partner to foreign
companies and organisations, especially SME desiring to strengthen cooperation
with Germany and Europe.
At the same time, the TechnoPark will secondly also be able to accommodate
other research institutes alongside GMD which work in areas which are either
the same as or complementary to those of GMD or other TechnoPark enterprises.
Last but not least the TechnoPark also provides GMD employees and employees
of other participating enterprises and institutions the optimum starting
conditions for establishing spin-off activities, especially for such high
tech spin off companies in our research fields.
The TechnoPark environment offers participating organisations the opportunity
both to cooperate in projects with GMD, including other TechnoPark enterprises
and other companies in the region, and also to carry out their own independent
R&D projects and develop these into marketable products.
To meet the needs of these different TechnoPark partners a new modern office
building in the center of Sankt Augustin is available. Adequate, well equipped
rooms for conferences, seminars, workshops and presentations will also be
provided on the GMD campus.
TechnoPark partners will also have access to various GMD laboratories with
technical backup as necessary. GMD for example operates laboratories and
testbeds for parallel computing, for telecooperation, for scientific visualisation,
for multimedia as well as for example video studios.
GMD's powerful internal and external telecommunications infrastructure is
of the highest technical standard and can be utilised by all TechnoPark
partners.
General infrastructure and services include the GMD library, training programmes,
house and security service and support by a start up team.
Thus there is a package of appropriate facilities to support the growth
of the included TechnoPark companies and to ease the connections between
GMD's researchers and these partners.
All premises and services provided by GMD will be charged on a cost-sharing
basis according to use.
What may be the benefits for the partners?
The TechnoPark provides participating companies and institutions with excellent
opportunities to exploit their R&D potential to greater effect, to increase
their innovative ability and thereby to improve their position in the market.
This is achieved through increased know-how. Conducting joint work "on
site" ensures faster access to the results of GMD's research work and
thus accelerates technological development work and its implementation into
products with capital market opportunities.
Exchange of personnel ensures greater, more effective know-how transfer.
The mobility of GMD's scientists provides an adequate basis for this.
Each participating company's employees will benefit from the manyfold opportunities
which exist for on-going further training programmes by GMD.
Offering the option of opening a transfer office - we call it TransferWindow
- espacially for foreign institutions and SME, these partners will find
a place from where they are able to analyze the potential of the German
infocom market and research scene, to develop business opportunities, to
support marketing and PR activities, to establish contacts and to assist
in finding the right partners.
Economic efficiency as another benefit leeds to considerable cost savings,
which can be achieved through making joint use of GMD's modern technical
infrastructure.
It is possible to establish specific R&D areas or groups in the TechnoPark
environment without having to build up the entire infrastructure.
The TechnoPark concept provides opportunities for expanding to larger premises
as required. This facilitates planning and minimises costs.
GMD participates in all major national and European promotional programmes
and thereby can also provide TechnoPark partners with a line of access to
these sponsors.
Communication advances is the third group of benefits. The TechnoPark provides
an outstanding information and communications platform for all participating
partners, for example by workshops, round tables and so on.
Permantent contact with the research groups of GMD and other TechnoPark
users stimulates the creativity of the personnel.
GMD possesses up to date, high-performance communication links throughout
the world.
Strategic benefits are to be seen insofar as the political and geographical
conditions for establishing a TechnoPark are particularly favourable. As
already said, the strengthening development of information and communication
technology is a key factor in the Bonn area which will follow the planned
relocation of the German Parliament and many ministries to Berlin.
The clear political intent to develop Bonn and its environment as another
political center and as an area with new political, scientific and cultural
functions and a future-oriented economic structure, ensures a high market
potential both within and outside the region.
If you compare the different requirements I mentioned in my first part you
will find a lot of correspondig points to contribute to these requirements
in the concept and the realisation of our TechnoPark.
When we started two years ago having all these above mentioned objectives
and ideas in mind we were not quite sure wether this pilot project of GMD
would come to work. Meanwhile the first 17 companies and institutions are
settled at TechnoPark. Among them are research groups, existing SME and
spin-offs of GMD. Today we are facing an increasing interest and demand
of additional external partners, but also a stronger acceptance and involvement
of these partners in the research and development work and transfer activities
of our researchers.
We are fully aware to stay at the very beginning of a new transfer process,
but we are quite sure to be on the right way to accelerate this process
and thus to contribute as a research institution towards an information
society we can be responsible for in the long run on the basis of our own
research and development results.