I servizi legati all'innovazione delle PMI: il nuovo ruolo delle università

In a development of the modern firm the technological progress as revised an important role through the continuous and systematic effort to adapt knowledge to production processes and their individual operations of the business. The production of goods with a strong "innovative features" and the invention of a processes and instruments to increase the efficiency of other inputs used have required the implementation of activities in the fields of basic research, applied research and design or development. With the Lisbon Agreement of 2000, the European Union members have planned a strategy based on knowledge, which should have led, by 2010, Europe will become the world economy stronger. The data obtained during the presentation of the "Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011", the World Economic Forum, Geneva 2010, have seen Italy positioned at a low level of world ranking of most competitive countries. In particular, the level of cooperation University - Industry, where on a scale of 1 to 7 and with an average compared to other countries in the world, Italy is equal to 3.7attests to below average (3.5 points) (World Economic Forum 2010). Some scholars have argued that collaboration between universities and research centers is the most appropriate tool to increase the competitiveness of the industrial system of a country and, particularly, the SME that, having reduced dimensions appear better able to acquire new knowledge resulting from R & D labs universities, with a saving of time and money. In this view, considering that the local context is characterized by Italian companies small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), with a low propensity to invest in R & D, University is to play a strategic role as a provider of services and innovation for innovation's territory. In this context, the present research work aims to analyze the changing role of University, noting that the presence of stable relations of cooperation between universities and research institutes on the one hand and business on the other, represents a major characteristics of innovative success. For the purposes of this study we used a method of research based on case study University of Cassino, through direct observation of a platform is, in implementation, which provides local businesses and consulting services to various stakeholders based technology transfer of the so-called crystallized knowledge, and document analysis produced by the University. More precisely, the platform of intellectual capital University of Cassino was placed in be to integrate the skills and experience accumulated in the various departments University of the University and increase interaction with the system of social development, through transfer services of technological assets in it. To achieve this objective has followed a logical path to analyze, on the one hand, the ability of the University of Cassino to offer its territory for research projects developed by the University's departments, and secondly, the opportunity for local businesses to secure the cooperation of the University to implement new projects in order to satisfy emerging needs. The author concludes by bringing out the main strengths and weaknesses of the model and providing at the same time, broad insights for further studies. It is shown that the model centered on the university sees the academic institution where gravity the process of knowledge transfer to the business world, giving rise to phenomena of permanent innovation and corporate knowledge