Benchmarking National - PRO INNO Europe

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BENCHMARKING NATIONAL AND REGIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES FOR SMES IN THE FIELD OF INTELLECTUAL AND INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY
The commercial target for this service, and for all IA Centre services, embraces
strategic decision-makers in all sizes of organisations. Regarding this service,
targeted organisations will be primarily those, which recognize the value of their
intellectual assets, including where appropriate IPR, but do not know how to
progress. The service also wants to target potential early adopters of IPRs. An
activity-based performance management system with numerical targets has been
set up with a target of 360 organisations in 2006-07.
The IA Centre has no explicit focus on SMEs; the service offerings cover all phases
of IPR usage. Some of the service elements offered by the IA Centre are also
delivered by the UKIPO, but at national UK level. Therefore, a regional focus is
given by the fact that the IA Centre offers its services within Scotland only. No
restrictions are in place for certain industries or technology fields.
Background and resources
During the past years, the Scottish Executive’s strategy for economic development
has set up a plan which is focussed on growth through productivity improvement,
entrepreneurship, skills and digital connections. Whilst implicit within such a
strategy, the ability to take advantage of intellectual property was not articulated
as being of critical requirement for business growth. To address this area specifically
therefore, the Scottish Executive set up a Centre to help organisations to address
intellectual property rights management.
In light of this, the Intellectual Assets Centre was established in 2003 representing
a public body agency promoted by the Scottish Executive, which is the principal
funder of the Centre. Other key stakeholders are Highlands and Islands Enterprise
and Scottish Enterprise. In addition, the IA Centre works closely with the UKIPO and
other organisations interested in IP in the business environment.
The service offerings were designed based on research with businesses and
suppliers prior to the establishment of the Centre. Subsequent research which
looked at the current levels of awareness and understanding of IPR, and extent of
engagement in IPR management activities among Scottish companies, particularly
SMEs also informed service development.
The core operational staff includes senior managers and experts in human
resources, economic development, marketing, public policy, technology and
innovation and IPR management. These members of staff are all professionals with
several years of experience in their respective fields. Exact figures of FTEs are not
available but around 10 people are estimated to be involved in marketing,
organization, and delivery of the services. These are supplemented by secondees
(for instance from the UKIPO) and a number of Consultants.
In 2005, the budget for the service was around £450,000 (around €700,000). Core
funding of the IA Centre is provided by the Scottish Executive. Other financial
sources come from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and from the European Union
e.g. Structural Funds as part of a programme called Innovative Actions. In the case
of EU funding, in 2005 it counted for almost 17% of the total budget which was
approximately £1million. Regarding the duration of the service, the IA Centre is
securely funded until 2008.
Modes of operation
As mentioned before, the service consists of training and advice sessions with
organisations in order to help them identify IA management issues, appropriate
tools and service providers.
The service portfolio offered by the IA Centre can be summarised as:
� education to create awareness;
� training and advice to build practical knowledge;
� offering diagnostic and IA audit tools; and
� signposting to help organisations identify IA management issues, appropriate
tools and service providers.