TRANSFER OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT RESULTS INTO PRACTICE - A CASE STUDY

Science, research, innovation and dissemination are one of the key factors determining the development potential of the region, country. The paper deals with the individual channels of knowledge transfer and output of scientific research activities conducted in the university into practice. The paper, in addition to identifying specific forms of cooperation with practice and research sector, identifies the key stakeholders- partners from practice, the benefits that cooperation with the practice generates for the academic sphere and especially the identification of barriers to this process. The results presented in the article are based on findings identified through the administration of a interviews with the heads of selected departments in the case study of Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra. The dominant channels of transfer of innovation into practice are in particular the consulting and educational activities, participation in scientific research projects and student practice and mobility. The possibility of commercialization of outputs of research activities and the creation of academic spin- off companies in the Slovak Republic is very low. The most significant barriers limiting listed processes are underfinancing of research and development, but in particular problems of an institutional nature.