Network support services provide communication and logistical support to professional networks in order to facilitate innovation. This includes hosting meetings, providing workspaces, advertising events, and advising on network strategy. The goals are to incubate networks and integrate them into innovation initiatives. Agreements are established between the supporting organization and each network to formalize the services provided and roles of both parties. Networks benefit from free services, while the supporting organization gains access to expertise and potential partnerships to leverage projects.

1. Network Support Services
FITT
– Fostering Interregional Exchange in ICT Technology Transfer –
www.FITT-for-Innovation.eu
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2. Network Support Services
Network support services are a bunch of communication and logistical
services delivered to networks in order to support them and make them
sustainable. These services are delivered free of charge in the
framework of a long term agreement between the TTO and the network.
The networks addressed here are composed of professional individuals,
gathering to exchange and create information on common thematic.
The objective of a TTO delivering these services are to:
 Become a network incubator
 Facilitate the integration of networks at the heart of innovation
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3. Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths :
• Network objective strongly aligned with innovation, high number
of companies, potential partnerships to leverage projects, access
to competences
• Services support for networks, become an active partner in
innovation, supplementary added value for members
Weaknesses:
• Difficulty to federate initiatives
• Difficulty to put in place agreement
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4. In Practice
 How is it structured?
• Face-to-face meeting
• Agreement
• Collaboration chart
• Services catalogue
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5. Face-to-Face Meeting
 Between network founders and CRP Henri Tudor
• Discussion about network’s objectives and innovation alignment
• Acceptation of support by CRP Henri Tudor direction
• Designation of network correspondent
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6. Agreement
 Legal document of collaboration between CRP Henri Tudor and network and
mentions :
• Name and objectives of the network,
• Name of the correspondent
• Obligations of each parties : signature of the present agreement, annual report of activities,
coverage by an insurance in civil liability, respect of rules in the implementation of services
• Price: free of charge
• Confidentiality
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7. Collaboration chart
 Integrated part of agreement
 Conditions of collaboration between the CRP Henri Tudor and the network :
• CRP Henri Tudor accepts to collaborate with a network because the network theme is
strongly aligned with one of the innovation themes treated by CRP Henri Tudor. As a
consequence, the network allows to address a high number of companies within a precise
domain, which offers potential partnerships to leverage projects, to have access to
competences within the network, and to benefit from concise case studies.
• The network accepts to collaborate with CRP Henri Tudor because the latter may provide a
support for development by proposing, under certain conditions, services adapted to its
needs. This support from CRP Henri Tudor permits the network to become an active partner
in innovation, and to provide a supplementary added value to its members.
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8. Services Catalog
 Describes the proposed Services, terms and conditions, the actors around these
Services.
 Services proposed:
• Communication services: cross communication of events
• Logistical services: rooms for events, working groups, board meeting
• Insertion of trainings in CRP Henri Tudor trainings catalogue
• Help for communication plan
• Advice on network strategy and dashboard
• Good practices for constitution of a network and animation of a network
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9. Parts of the Process
 Integration in the innovation transfer :
 Strong collaboration :
Network Innovation program
Projects
Working group
Events
Trainings
Market
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10. Examples
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11. Examples
Examples of
network
partnerships
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12. Examples
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13. When?
 First networks created 10 years ago : Spiral, Clussil
 A lot of professionals networks created in the last 2 years
12 networks (9 with agreement)
3 networks in incubation
A lot of partnerships
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14. Stakeholders
The researchers
• Creation of specified contacts pool
• Narrow links built: network incubation, partnerships on projects, market knowledge,…
 Project Team
• Creation of agreement, collaboration chart and catalogue of services
Network correspondents
• Definition of their role, advice on the proposed services, link between market, network and
innovation
Technology Transfer Office
• creation of the link between networks and research and market to
valorize/communicate/transfer results of the research on a specified market and to better
know the target market
Other networks
• creation of links to each other according to common thematic between networks
(collaboration on events, participation on working groups,…) through network
correspondents and researchers.
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15. Resources involved
 Team project : 8 days per month
 Network Correspondent : 1/2day/month
 Jurist : 1day/month during 1 year
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16. Where?
 All the networks are located in Luxemburg
 All the services are delivered in Luxemburg
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17. Pro’s & Cons
 Pro’s
• Peers needs help to create their network and CRP HT needs the networks to improve the
base of their innovation projects’ results for the Luxemburg market.
• Imply network in the innovation value works thanks to the important work of the network
correspondents
• Facilities proposed and collaboration for networks with the innovation of their sector.
• Connection for a TTO with a specified market to communicate, to collaborate, to valorize.
 Cons
• Quite long to put in place the agreement (respect all the conditions of transparency of a TTO
and respect the flexibility of a network)
• difficulty to create links between networks (sometimes, some networks accept to open to the
others but others not or do not see the benefit of it)
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18. Why ?
 Initiatives for the creation of professional networks flourished in Luxemburg
 Need of peers to meet up to discuss, exchange, construct and build initiatives
for the research and development of projects.
 Networks are the crossroad of paths between the markets, and the research
and development, and are becoming pioneers of innovation for Luxemburg.
 Proof of high dynamics and motivation.
 Draw high numbers of people
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19. Why?
Networks = levers for
Amplification of diffusion
Impact of innovation on Luxemburg
Improvement of innovation projects’ results for the Luxemburg market
Transfer of results and appropriation by the market
Merit the support from the CRP Henri Tudor
Services proposed free of charge
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20. Outcomes
 12 networks
 Agreement in signature
 Integration of networks in innovation programs
 Value added of networks = assets for innovation and transfer
 Foster collaboration
 Better knowledge of target markets
 Annual event to foster collaboration and knowledge between market, research
center and networks
 Integration of networks in the corporate strategy
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21. Lessons Learned
 An advice :
 Always keep contact with the networks
• to understand their needs
• to propose right services,
• to foster strong links for innovation collaboration
• to better know the market
 Imply all stakeholders in the process
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