Experiences with Pretesting Questionnaire for Transfer Promotors

Experience with pretesting the questionnaire for transfer promotors - Czech project partners TRANS3Net 1st Partner meeting Dresden, 1st 2nd December 2016

List of realized interviews For PP3 (Economic and social council of st region) Innovation Centre of the Usti Region, st nad Labem Unipetrol Centre of Research and Education, Litv nov Research Institute for Brown Coal, Most For PP5 (Chamber of Commerce of D n District) Chamber of Commerce of the Region of Usti, st nad Labem Local action group Labsk sk ly, J lov Economic and Social Council of D n District, D n For PP6 (University of J.E. Purkyn in st nad Labem) Faculty of Environment, Jan Evangelista Purkyne University in Usti nad Labem Material Centre of Usti nad Labem, Jan Evangelista Purkyne University in Usti nad Labem CzechInvest, sti nad Labem because of an illness the interview with this promotor had to be postponed Dresden, December 2016

Most important experiences / suggestions 1 in general the questionnaire is concidered as understandable (competent interviewee needed) minor changes suggested: General information (point 1) It should be stressed that that these data, such as address, phone, e-mail etc. should include the organization as a whole (rather than the interviewee). Identification (point 2.1) the decision about a form of possible idea protection (e.g. industrial patent or other formal or more informal ways of protection) and services connected with this area can be another possible offered response. Initiation (point 2.3) service connected with (pre)selection of suitable partners of a concrete transfer process can be other possible offered response. Dresden, December 2016

Most important experiences / suggestions 2 minor changes suggested: Economic exploitation (point 2.4) may be more possible responses should be presented / offered to make it easier for the interviewee to make a decision. Preparation of economic exploitation (point 2.5) offered responses 3, 4 and 7 are quite similar and all are connected with consulting services. may be staff exchange and student theses do not belong to this phase of transfer (?). Advancement of idea (point 2.6) clearer explanation of institutionalisation needed - is it also spin-off activities? Dresden, December 2016

Most important experiences / suggestions 3 minor changes suggested: Contact persons (point 3) unclear division of particular contacts, does not precise correspond with described phases of technology transfer process. interviewees would prefer to give one contact person for the whole organisation, in larger organisations they would decide themselves who could help with particular questions. Target groups (point 5) just a note is it even possible that only one side can benefit from the transfer process? company size too detailed description as a small, medium or large sized enterprise should be enough. References (point 6) In some cases, the references cannot be public some contracts give both sides of the process an obligation to maintain secrecy of object of the transfer. Dresden, December 2016

Possible missing questions Sources of financing of the transfer proces, Total number of employees (not only employees active in transfer process in many cases it is very hard to distinquish who is and who is not really in touch with transfer processes) Dresden, December 2016

Some general recommendations to send questionnaire to the interviewee in advance (for preparation of data), possibility of assistance is welcomed, even in case of online method of the survey, remember to the need of update of the collected data (once per year? - opinions differ - from quarterly to 1x per two years), this update should be done online (eg. via e-mail), remember to privacy interviewees have to be sure that the collected data would be safe, most of the information can be collected online the only problem is with concrete contacts and references. Dresden, December 2016

Conclusions Based on pretesting the questionnaire presents a good tool for information detection and mapping of transfer promotors. It is higly important to openly present the goal of questioning How are the results going to be used? basically for creation of a catalogue / map of transfer promotors enabling searching according to topic, target group, geographical range etc., networking, establishment of new subject oriented teams (also cross-border). Dresden, December 2016

Thank you for your attention and patience Karel Tich Dresden, December 2016