Towards outstanding innovation: priorities of innovation within centres for research-based innovation in Norway

Figures & data

Figure 1. The objectives of the SFI, fourth generation.

Source: Research Council of Norway (RCN 2021a).

Figure 2. Reporting template, fourth generation.

Source: Research Council of Norway (RCN 2021b).

Table 1. Reportability overview of SFI innovation reporting strategies by thematic category. Source: Author's own configuration.

SFI ID	Theme 1: Economics and External Financing Data	Theme 2: People and Work life	Theme 3: Networks	Theme 4: Commercialization
CGF	Low Reportability (No tracking of EU or newly financed spin-off projects)	Medium Reportability (student exchange data, but no market placement data)	High Reportability (Detailed dynamic cooperations data, active website, and LinkedIn networking)	Medium Reportability (“Ambitions for spinoff company establishment”; “publish 40 market targeted publications within first 6 years”)
CIRFA	Low Reportability (No tracking of EU or newly financed spin-off projects)	Medium Reportability (student exchange data, but no market placement data)	High Reportability (“CIRFA Ecosystem” and careful accounting of all interactions with partners and networking events with exact attendance numbers)	Low Reportability (No IPR Intellectual Property Rights Data (henceforth IPR))
CIUS	High reportability (No mention of EU funding, but careful tracking of piloting of innovations, e.g. “This work package follows feasibility, piloting, and validation of CIUS developed innovations in the maritime and oil & gas sector”)	High reportability (Detailed student exchange data and market placement data)	High reportability (Active tracking of dynamic networking, dissemination, networking events with exact attendance numbers)	High reportability (Wealth of IPR data)
iCSI	High reportability (Careful tracking of EU projects and pilot projects, e.g. separate section on “Horizon 2020 projects”, p. 56)	High Reportability (Detailed student exchange data and market placement data)	High reportability (Active tracking of dynamic networking, dissemination, networking events)	Low Reportability (No IPR Data)
Klima 2050	Medium Reportability (No tracking of EU funding but pilot project mentions	Medium Reportability (Mention of MA students (p. 52)	Low Reportability (Passing mentions of the dynamics of networking)	Low Reportability (No IPR Data)
MetalProduction	Low Reportability (No tracking of EU or newly financed spin-off projects)	Low Reportability (No student exchange data or market placement)	Low Reportability (Passing mentions of the dynamics of networking)	Low Reportability (No IPR Data)
NorwAI	High reportability (Repeated statements about seeking EU funding and careful tracking of piloting of innovations)	Low Reportability (No student exchange data and very little on market placement)	High reportability (Active tracking of dynamic networking, dissemination, networking events)	Low Reportability (No IPR Data)
NORCICS	Low Reportability (No tracking of EU or newly financed spin-off projects)	Low Reportability (No student exchange data and very little on market placement)	Medium Reportability (Tracking of networking and dissemination, but no details about dynamics)	Medium Reportability (Mention of IPR, but no specific tracking mechanism)
SFI Blues	Low Reportability (No tracking of EU or newly financed spin-off projects)	Low Reportability (No student exchange data and very little on market placement)	Medium Reportability (Tracking of networking and dissemination, but no details about dynamics)	Low Reportability (No IPR Data)
SFI Harvest	Low Reportability (No tracking of EU or newly financed spin-off projects)	Low Reportability (No student exchange data or market placement)	Medium Reportability (Tracking of networking and dissemination, but no details about dynamics)	Low Reportability (No IPR Data)
SFI Move	Low Reportability (No tracking of EU or newly financed spin-off projects)	Medium Reportability (Mention of MA and PhD students [pp. 26–30, 44], but no market placement data)	Medium Reportability (Tracking of networking and dissemination, but no details about dynamics)	Low Reportability (No IPR Data)
SIRIUS	High reportability (Careful Tracking of EU projects and pilot projects (mention of “Horizon 2020 projects”, page 6))	Medium Reportability (Mention of PhD students (pages 44–45) but no market placement data)	High reportability (Active tracking of Dynamic Networking, Dissemination, Networking Events)	Low Reportability (No IPR Data)
Smart Maritime	Medium Reportability (Some tracking of EU participation by partners and mention of financed spin-off projects [pp. 60–61])	Medium Reportability (Mention of MA and PhD students [pp. 81, 64–73], but no market placement data)	Medium Reportability (Tracking of networking and dissemination, but no details about dynamics)	Low Reportability (No IPR Data)
SUBPRO	Medium Reportability (Little tracking of EU participation by partners and mention of financed spin-off projects (Project “AutoPRO”, pp. 74–75).	High Reportability (Detailed student exchange data and market placement data)	High reportability (Active tracking of dynamic networking, dissemination, networking events)	High Reportability (“Portfolio of innovation projects”; “spin-off projects”; “innovation and collaboration with industry partners”; “intellectual property rights”)

Table 2. SFI innovation disclosure and reporting granularity. Source: Author’s own configuration.

SFI ID	Stated Definitions of Innovation	Innovation Reported at the Table of Contents	Reported Notions/Terms of Innovation
CGF	N/A	Innovation Plan/Strategy (pp. 11–13)	“Innovation Prospect Concept”; “RoadMap for Innovation”, “Use-Cases of Innovation”; “Innovation Advisory Board”
CIRFA	N/A	Innovation Highlights (pp. 16–17)	CIRFA “Ecosystem”
CIUS	Translation from Academic Research into Practical Applications – fuelled by the CIUS Licencing Strategy & CIUS statistics results	Innovation (pp. 46–47)	“Innovations/New Practice”; “Licensing”, “DOFI”; “patent pending”; “licensing considered or discussed”; “licensing agreements”; “open source licenses”; “new products”; “new methods”; “new services”; “disclosures of inventions”
iCSI	N/A	N/A	“new innovation projects”
Klima 2050	N/A	Innovation (pp. 18–31)	“Innovation Ladder”; “innovation methodologies”
MetalProduction	N/A	N/A	N/A
NorwAI	N/A	Showroom for Talents and Innovations (pp. 16–17); The AI Innovation Board (p. 23); “ultimately, it all leads up to industrial innovation” (pp. 30–31)	“innovation arena for effective value creation”; “innovation networks”; “tailoring of innovation processes”
NORCICS	N/A	N/A	“Innovation Management Plan”; “Innovation and Exploitation Potential”; “intellectual property management”
SFI Blues	N/A	N/A	“exploitation and innovation committee”
SFI Harvest	N/A	N/A	“research and innovation challenges”
SFI Move	N/A	N/A	N/A
SIRIUS	N/A	N/A	N/A
Smart Maritime	N/A	N/A	“spin-off research and innovation activities”
SUBPRO	N/A	N/A	“portfolio of innovation projects”; “spin-off projects”; “innovation and collaboration with industry partners”; “intellectual property rights”

Figure 3. Innovation statistics reporting by CIUS.

Source: CIUS 2020.

Research Council Norway. (2021a). SFI Call for Proposals. Retrieved December, 17 2022, from https://www.forskningsradet.no/en/call-for-proposals/2019/centre-for-research-based-innovation/

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Research Council Norway. (2021b). SFI Reporting criteria. Retrieved December, 17 2022, from https://www.forskningsradet.no/nar-du-har-fatt-finansiering/prosjektrapportering/rapportering-for-sentre/

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CIUS: Centre for Innovative Ultrasound Solutions. (2020). Annual report. https://www.ntnu.edu/documents/1262947227/1268580566/CIUS_Annual_Report_2020_web_small.p df/0ef21000-36ba-45a5-dc21-afd0b9f2c1be?t=1616786836933

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