Innovation/technology transfer to food SMEs

Technology transfer to the important mass of small and medium sized food enterprises (SMEs) is a challenge due to the complex structure of management, technology and market organization in SMEs. MATFORSK (the Norwegian Food Research Institute) has developed it programme for effective technology transfer to SMEs in Norway financially supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture. The programme objective is to improve innovation and competitiveness in food SMEs. An external evaluation carried out after 2 1/2 years stated that the programme was one of the few governmental supported food industry interventions in later years with documented positive results. MATFORSK now has a well-established procedure for this SME approach and has gained considerable experience from managing the programme including 250 SMEs since the start in 1994. An important effect of this type of approach is the positive relationships established between the SMEs and a food research institute, such as, for example, MATFORSK. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.