1. Satakunnan ammattikorkeakoulu | Tekniikka ja merenkulku
Satakunta University of Applied Sciences | Faculty of Technology and Maritime Management
University Networks Value
Creation of Knowledge
Transfer in Enterprise
Clusters
Matti Lähdeniemi1, Olli Mertanen2 & Kari Laine3
1 Tampere University of Technology, Pori Campus
2 CoastAl UAS Consortium
3 Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, Energy and Construction
3.6.2014 Winterthur (Zurich) Switzerland

2. Satakunnan ammattikorkeakoulu | Tekniikka ja merenkulku
Satakunta University of Applied Sciences | Faculty of Technology and Maritime Management
Background and motivation
• How to focus university innovation
potential to enterprise cluster
• Several universities can complete
each other’s knowledge but how to do
it effectively with enterprise cluster
• Model of collaboration

3. Satakunnan ammattikorkeakoulu | Energia ja rakentaminen
Satakunta University of Applied Sciences | Faculty of Energy and Construction
Case 1
• Organized co-operation between Satakunta UAS
and Turku UAS
– Co-operation based on the strategic focuses of the two
UAS’ and their combination is stronger in the case of
challenging R&D projects
– Based on Strategic Federation Agreement which defines
the main principles concerning the operations and
management
• LOURA project
– Fosters maritime industry especially in the fields of
research and education and builds up an active
innovation platform

4. Satakunnan ammattikorkeakoulu | Energia ja rakentaminen
Satakunta University of Applied Sciences | Faculty of Energy and Construction
LOURA coordination

5. Satakunnan ammattikorkeakoulu | Energia ja rakentaminen
Satakunta University of Applied Sciences | Faculty of Energy and Construction
Networks of LOURA
innovation platform

6. Satakunnan ammattikorkeakoulu | Energia ja rakentaminen
Satakunta University of Applied Sciences | Faculty of Energy and Construction
Case 2
• Participatory Research and
Development (PRD)
– PRD means the process of R&D where
enterprises which their own businesses
are coinciding with the same client or
client group. Partners are searching and
defining common R&D steps with the
HEI network.

7. Satakunnan ammattikorkeakoulu | Energia ja rakentaminen
Satakunta University of Applied Sciences | Faculty of Energy and Construction
Case 2
• Pre selected themes based on earlier
collaboration
– Prototype modelling
– Life cycle business
– PRD
• Enterprises selected PRD as a main topic
– Fostering collaboration between enterprises
– Aiming to business led collaboration

8. Satakunnan ammattikorkeakoulu | Energia ja rakentaminen
Satakunta University of Applied Sciences | Faculty of Energy and Construction
Main findings and discussion

9. Satakunnan ammattikorkeakoulu | Energia ja rakentaminen
Satakunta University of Applied Sciences | Faculty of Energy and Construction
Strategic partnerships
• Strategic partnerships are important because there is a long
term co-operation experience between university and
enterprise
• University is deep in the business of partner and can follow
ideas of R&D from enterprise point of view and
• University can make suggestions for the needs of enterprise
R&D

10. Satakunnan ammattikorkeakoulu | Energia ja rakentaminen
Satakunta University of Applied Sciences | Faculty of Energy and Construction
Strong project management
• When several universities are working together it needs
strong project management
• Universities must identify their real substance how they are
serving enterprise R&D project needs
• Is even more difficult to identify how the university is serving
partner university knowledge especially in the case that the
university cannot directly serve the enterprise needs
• When two universities have a long tradition in co-operation
the fulfilling of each others knowledge is possible and is even
a fluent process

11. Satakunnan ammattikorkeakoulu | Energia ja rakentaminen
Satakunta University of Applied Sciences | Faculty of Energy and Construction
Identification of essential
needs
• In the case of enterprise clusters and university
networks the interests of different partners can
differ
• Public sector and municipal funding engaged
• Need of discussions and negotiations are never
over estimated
• They are the only way to find common interests for
collaboration in projects and reach success in R&D

12. Satakunnan ammattikorkeakoulu | Energia ja rakentaminen
Satakunta University of Applied Sciences | Faculty of Energy and Construction
Elements of successful
collaboration

13. Satakunnan ammattikorkeakoulu | Energia ja rakentaminen
Satakunta University of Applied Sciences | Faculty of Energy and Construction
Conclusions and
recommendations
• Universities must combine and build their knowledge into form of a
service process or even service product to make successful
collaboration with enterprise clusters.
• Real identification skills of universities are needed to satisfy
enterprise needs. This is realistic only in the case of long time co-
operation at the level of strategic partnership
• This ensures fast value creation and transfer from university
network to enterprise clusters
• The presented models created also new business to enterprise
members in the cluster
• Gives deeper, realistic and business oriented focus for the applied
research of universities

14. Satakunnan ammattikorkeakoulu | Energia ja rakentaminen
Satakunta University of Applied Sciences | Faculty of Energy and Construction
Thank You
for Your attention!
Matti Lähdeniemi matti.j.lahdeniemi@gmail.com
Olli Mertanen olli.mertanen@coastal.fi
Kari Laine kari.laine@samk.fi