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CenSES annual report 2014
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RA 4 Innovation, Commercialization
and Public Engagement
Work related to the Work Packages in RA 4
In RA 4 we will develop knowledge within three main areas:
1) What factors in uence the commercialization of research?
How can commercialization processes from research institu-
tion be stimulated? How can research result in spin-o and
technology transfer? How does one identify commercial po-
tential, and enable paths towards actual commercialization?
2) If there is a tension between knowledge creation and
spillover, how does this in uence policy in a small open
economy in Europe? The roles innovation systems in a
globalized world.
3) How do local and regional barriers in private and public
sector hinder transition strategies and what strategies that
are needed to overcome such barriers?
The research plan for RA 4 was revised during 2014. In WP 1
will the focus be somewhat stronger on the development of
spin-o rms from research organizations. We will develop
further the interesting paths related to dynamic business
models in developed and less developed countries. We will
also continue the mapping of innovation activities in the
technical FMEs. In WP 2 was the initial focus on analyzing
attempts to build innovation systems to support the devel-
opment and introduction of technologies to transform re-
newable energy sources (wind, solar, bio, wave) into energy/
electricity. Many of these emerging technologies are initially
challenged both by their intrinsic newness and the competi-
tion with existing technologies, which called our attention to
the analysis of the speci c conditions that make, or hamper,
emerging technologies from becoming more cost-e ective.
In the coming period we will therefore focus more on inter-
national aspects of innovation systems building to embed
new technologies in economy and society. This will involve
both cross-national (bi-lateral/multi-lateral) and international
(particularly EU) analysis.
In WP 3 will the focus be on how meeting the EU’s and
Norway’s ambitious renewable energy targets will have
signi cant local consequences. Policy makers must make
decisions that balance the consequences for the economy,
the society, and the environment. Most of the activity in WP
3 will be related to the RELEASE project (Renewable Energy
Projects: Local Impacts and Sustainability). The project is
nanced by RCN and a number of user partners.
RA4 will dedicate resources in order to participate in the sce-
nario work outlined in RA 5. This will be done in close relation
with key researchers in RA 2 and RA 1. Furthermore, the RA 4
team will take lead in the development of the position paper
“Nurturing new technologies”. Finally, we will in RA 4 contin-
ue to support student startups focusing on renewable energy
solutions. This could be related to both technology develop-
ment and business model innovations.
Post doc Ekaterina Bjørnåli presented at
the RERC2014 conference that was
organized at the University of Oslo in
June 2014. More than 160 researchers
from prominent international and Norwegian research
institutes put forward their latest discoveries and
analysis within the eld of renewable energy.
Bjørnåli presented her paper about the factors a ecting the
growth of clean-tech start-ups under the theme “Innovation
and Public engagement”. She was showing that current
studies have focused on such external factors as policies
and regulations while the rm-speci c and individual
factors have been neglected. She argued for the need to
investigate the role of individuals and rm-level factors in
the development of clean-tech start-ups.
The paper has been published in Energy Proceedia.
Renewable Energy
Research Conference
(RERC) 2014