SKNOWINNOV · Building a concept of strategic knowledge management in small and medium-sized enterprises based on innovation transfer

Building a concept of strategic knowledge management in small and medium-sized enterprises based on innovation transfer

The main objective of the project was to build a new method for strategic knowledge management based on innovation transfer in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The implementation of the project was also supported by the growing interest of entrepreneurs in the investment in knowledge and R&D as well as the development and improvement of transferring research findings between research laboratories and companies. The project was under done at the Vienna University of Technology, Institute for Software Technology and Interactive Systems, e-commerce group, headed by Prof. Hannes Werthner. The whole project was carried out according to the methodology, defined in the project proposal: • In the period from 1st November - 2009 to 31st January -2010 (Stage 1) literature related to the subject in question was studied in detail. • In the period from 1st February - 2010 to 31st January - 2011 (Stage 2) the author’s method for assessing and forecasting the value of knowledge in SMEs was developed - “SKnowInnov method” - and the empirical studies were done in 10 SMEs at five workplaces in each of the companies. • The project was suspended from 10.08.2010 to 09.12.2010 due to maternity leave. • In the period from 1st February 2011 to 31st July 2011 (Stage 3) the author’s system supporting decision making at the strategic level in terms of return on investment in knowledge was designed and developed - “SKnowInnov model”. • In the period from 1st August 2011 to 28st February 2012 (Stage 4) the author’s IT tool for decision making at the strategic level as regards to the profitability of investment in employees’ qualifications and skills was created - “SKnowInnov system”. The concept of intellectual capital as well as methods for the measurement and reporting of intellectual capital in enterprises were defined. Particular attention was paid to models of assessment and reporting of intellectual capital in SMEs. A state of the art review regarding research includes methods of intellectual capital assessment based on investment in staff’s knowledge development. However, no methods for assessing the efficiency of decisions on acquiring knowledge could be identified. Literature distinguishes qualitative measures (e.g. Danish project of IC measurement, ‘Scandia’ navigator, intangible assets monitor, IC model –TM Rating, VCSTM, balanced result sheet, report by Saratoga Institute) and quantitative methods of valuating intellectual capital (e.g. MV/ MB, q-Tobin, CIV, KCE, VAICTM, economic added value, IAV model, Strassmann’s method, IAMVTM, technology broker) [Dudycz, 2005], [Edvinsson and Malone, 1997], [Fitz-enz, 2001], [Kasiewicz at al., 2006], [Mikuła et al., 2002], [Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995]. Although attempts are continuously made to find methods for measuring intellectual capital, there is still no widely accepted recognized method enabling to build an intellectual capital reporting system. The difficulty is that the majority of the concepts are prepared for specific companies, in other words, such measuring methods are tailor made and their general application is not possible [Patalas-Maliszewska and Krebs, 2009].

Data: CORDIS, © European Union