The project aims to develop a service concept to promote corporate spin-off processes. This should satisfy the needs of existing enterprises which intend to develop their corporate entrepreneurship culture. In the course of the project the service to be developed should be established in an independent organizational unit of each company after its pilot test phase, in order to recognize future "opportunities" and potential founder teams early on and to offer support in founding a spin-off. Main commissioning party of this project is CORFO/INNOVA Chile (Agency for Economic Promotion in Chile respectively its innovation agency); main contractor is the private University of Concepción, represented by its Entrepreneurship Centre. ISI has a sub-contract with this Centre.

Methodology

The methodology consists in the analysis of each enterprise' structures and strategies with regard to innovation activity, innovation management, innovation capability, respectively competitiveness etc., in order to determine how high the acceptance of the model corporate spin-off and its later introduction is. The work in the project is centred on the methodology to be developed and support in the implementation. The methodology should be developed on the basis of literature searches and ISI's own specialized experience. A team from ISI and its sub-contractor Cameron-Partners will undertake the adaptation to Chilean reality and provide pragmatic support in developing spin-offs (which will hopefully be identified). Eight Chilean small to large enterprises are partners in the project and thus the target group for qualification and implementation measures. The service should later be installed in these firms.

Phases of the project

1. Diagnosis
   Collection of information; collective seminars and workshops with individual enterprises; utilization of corporate management tools like e.g. strategic planning tools, balanced score card, data collection and assessment thereof, discussion round tables in the firms.
2. Design of own methodology
   Design or adoption of methods to identify opportunities, assess ideas, select projects, develop detailed business plans, analyze R&D conditions and methods to evaluate projects together with the parent company.
3. Implementation
   Practical implementation on the basis of the previous phases, market research for the spin-out business concepts, information trips of entrepreneurs or management staff of the parent companies to Europe (if necessary).
4. Training and further education for entrepreneur and managers of the parent companies
   Workshops with target groups in the parent companies; preparation and conduct of joint workshops; management seminars for entrepreneurs; soft skills seminars for entrepreneurs; visits of parent company to spin-offs in European firms, where methods and policies on the subject of corporate spin-offs are realized; possibly trips by personnel from the Founder Centre to the EU (in order to become acquainted with examples and implemented models of corporate spin-off processes).
5. Production of documentary material for marketing and communication
6. Diffusion of results
   Events, participation in events, distribution of the documentation, publications, visits and information trips, etc.

Status: ongoing (January - October 2009)

Client:
Universidad de Concepción

Partner:
Cameron Partners, Mannheim