EU/ACP FUNDED CARIBBEAN WELCOME PROJECT
ANALYSIS OF THE SUPPLY
OF SERVICES AND
DIFFUSION OF KNOWLEDGE
TO FIRMS IN THE
CARIBBEAN
Vanessa Clarke
Senior Expert, Caribbean WELCOME Project
Scientific Research Council
3rd International Conference
Jamaica
November 7, 2012
1
Focus
R&D Budget Considerations
 Client Relations and Needs
 Industry-Science Relations
 Cooperation Perceptions

2
Services
Supporting institutions are organisations who aim
to cater to the needs of MSME’s
 Clients – agro-processors, farmers

Businees/Private
Sector (Innovation)
Entrepreneurship,
enabling
sustainable
development
Research
Organisations
(Research)
Educational
Institutions
(Education)
3
Countries
Percentage of respondents from each country that participated
in the survey.
Jamaica
36%
57%
Saint Lucia
7%
Trinidad &
Tobago
4
Involvement in Science and Technology
Policies
No response
7%
Directly
36%
Not involved
29%
•Inform policies
•Provide
technological
assistance,
analytical testing
services
and
Research
and
Development.
• Aid
in
developing
National Policies
for Science and
Technology.
Indirectly
28%
5
R&D BUDGET
CONSIDERATIONS
6
Budget from Research, Technological
Development and Innovation
70%
60%
57%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
14%
14%
7%
7%
10-25%
25-50%
0%
Less than 10%
Greater than 75%
No response
Percentage of Budget generated by RTDI (2009)
7
Budget for Research, Technological
Development and Innovation
45%
43%
40%
35%
30%
25%
21%
21%
20%
15%
10%
7%
7%
5%
0%
Less than 10%
10-25%
25-50%
Greater than
75%
No response
Percentage of Budget involved in RTDI (2009)
8
CLIENT RELATIONS
AND NEEDS
9
Classification of Companies
- research department or
Research
Performers equivalent
- able to take long run view of
technological capabilities
Technological
Competence
MinimumCapability
Companies
LowTechnology
SMEs
- multiple
engineers/technicians
- Outsourced R & D activities
- some budgetary discretion
- able to participate in
technology networks
- one engineer
- able to adopt/ adapt to
packaged solutions
-Quality Assurance Lab in
place
- may need implementation
help
- no meaningful technological
capability
- no perceived need for this
- may be no actual need
10
Client Base
70%
64%
60%
57%
50%
50%
50%
40%
Minimum
capability firms
29%
30%
Technological
competent
firms
Research
Performers
21%
20%
14%
10%
Low Technology
Firms
14%
14%
7%
7%
7%
14%
7%
7%
7%
7%
7%
7%
7%
0%
Less than 10%
10-25%
25-50%
50-75%
Greater than
75%
No response
Percentage of Current Client Base of Supporting Institutions
11
Methods Used to Promote
Services Locally
Other
14%
Visits to individual firms
57%
Fairs or other trade events
21%
Conferences and presentations to
groups of firms
43%
Internet
21%
Local Media
29%
Printed materials
7%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
12
60%
Methods Used to Promote
Services Regionally
Other
7%
Visits to individual firms
29%
Fairs or other trade events
7%
Conferences and presentations to groups of
firms
43%
Internet
29%
Local Media
14%
Printed materials
14%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
13
Understanding and Experience with
Innovative Activities of Local Firms
No response
14%
Other
14%
We work with firms on a continuous basis to
develop their innovation capacity
36%
We occasionally work with firms to assist
them with their innovation projects
29%
We do not have real understanding of the
needs of firms with respect to innovation
7%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
14
.
Understanding and Experience with
Innovative Activities of Regional Firms
No response
36%
Other
7%
We work with firms on a continuous basis to
develop their innovation capacity
7%
We occasionally work with firms to assist
them with their innovation projects
36%
We
become
the needs
of firms
Delete
lastaware
optionof from
Master
file via
third parties or the media
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
15
Barriers Preventing Local Firms to
Launch Innovative Projects
Lack of financial resources
79%
Non-existence of technology support services
50%
Lack of technological information
43%
Lack of specialized personnel
50%
Lack of the appropriate expertise and knowledge
inside the company
57%
High Risk
43%
Large time span for return on investment
50%
Hight cost of innovation
93%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
16
Barriers Preventing Regional Firms
to Launch Innovative Projects
Lack of financial resources
50%
Lack of specialized personnel
36%
Lack of the appropriate expertise and
knowledge inside the company
36%
High Risk
36%
Large time span for return on investment
43%
Hight cost of innovation
64%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
17
INDUSTRY – SCIENCE
RELATIONS
LOCALLY AND REGIONALLY
18
Major Obstacles for Establishing Relations
Between Science and Industry Locally
Fear of disseminating private info to
competitors
57%
Lack of trust
64%
Lack of entrepreneurial thinking in science
64%
Lack of technical capacities/resources
57%
Shortage of capital in science
86%
Shortage of capital in industry
86%
Shortage of qualified personnel in science
57%
Shortage of qualified personnel in industry
57%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
19
Major Obstacles for Establishing Relations
Between Science and Industry Regionally
36%
Uncertainty on outcomes of joint R&D
43%
Lack of trust
Lack of entrepreneurial thinking in science
36%
Lack of technical capacities/resources
36%
43%
Lack of administrative support
71%
Shortage of capital in science
50%
Shortage of capital in industry
43%
Shortage of qualified personnel in science
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
20
Public Intervention Initiatives to Promote
Industry-Science Relations Regionally
Support for intermediary structures
64%
Graduate's education programme
36%
Programmes for researcher mobility
between science and industry
36%
Operating joint research labs
50%
Public financial support for joint R&D
projects between industry and science
57%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
21
COOPERATION
PERCEPTION
22
Satisfaction with Current Level of
Cooperation
No response
14%
No
86%
23
Obstacles to the Lack of Cooperation
between Firms and Supporting
Organizations
Low confidence in local expertise
36%
Difficulties with the management of financial
support
29%
Lack of funding resources
36%
Mistrust of potential partners towards
cooperation
21%
High costs of consulting/services
57%
Limited number of support institutions in the
region
21%
Limited range of support institutions in the
region
21%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
24
Factors That Can Improve Cooperation Levels
Between Supporting Institutions and Local Firms
Active involvement of all stakeholders
The diversification and improvementsof
products offered by support institutions
79%
57%
The fostering of greater relationships
79%
The promotion of activities
79%
The creation of an information database
The creation of financial incentives
71%
64%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
25
Main Barriers to Cooperation with
Organizations from Other Countries
Knowledge about other regional partners which could
participate in a regional cooperation network or
project
36%
Availability of intermediaries assisting my organization
to locate partners
55%
Travel costs
45%
Funding (search for or lack of)
64%
High monetary costs associated with collaborations
73%
Fear of loss of intellectual property/lack of trust
55%
Priorities of my organization
36%
%
20%
40%
60%
80%
26
Main Drivers for Supporting Institutions to
Cooperate with Other Organizations
Knowledge about other regional partners
which could participate in a regional…
67%
Cultural barriers(different approaches to
business practices)
33%
Travel costs
33%
Funding (search for/lack of)
100%
Language skills of staff
33%
Technical skills of staff
33%
Awareness of opportunities(R&D and
Innovation support)
67%
Need to acquire new know-how
33%
Priorities of my organization
67%
%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
27
Summary



36% of supporting institutions are directly involved in
policy making with 28% more indirectly
14% of supporting institutions had greater than 75% of
their budget generated by RTDI. Conversely, 43% used
less than 10% of their budget in RTDI
Current client base of supporting institutions is diverse
36% of worked on a continuous basis with local firms
whilst 36% worked occasionally with regional firms.
28
Summary

The main barriers for MSME’s to launching
innovative projects; establishing of Industry science
relations and obstacles to cooperation.
◦ Money
 capacity building
 travel costs
◦
◦
◦
◦
Trust
Priorities
Access to information
Lack of entrepreneurial thinking
Suggested public intervention strategies were to
create better capacity building programmes.
 No one is satisfied with current cooperation levels

29
The End
THANK YOU
30