The transformation of research technology organisations (RTOs) in Asia and Europe

Research technology organizations (RTOs) are undergoing a transition in their traditional role. This transition is driven by two key shifts in the environment within which RTOs operate: increasing pressure to commercialise research outputs and the internationalisation of the research endeavor, providing new opportunities for both funding and transfer of outputs. We note that these trends are felt in both industrialised and industrialising economies, acknowledging a need for properly framed comparative studies. Among the key questions addressed here: How do open, global R&D networks affect RTO research portfolios? Does building national resources reduce international opportunities? Can Asian RTOs reorient their operations from doing basic research to producing commercialisable outputs as effectively as some of their European counterparts? Before reviewing important developments in the RTO literature, we distinguish several types of RTOs. The literature reflecting the abovementioned environmental shifts indicates that RTOs play an important role in helping industrialising economies catch up with their industrialised counterparts. We note also the role RTOs play in transferring university research outputs, and call for more studies of the role of RTOs in industrialization as opposed to agricultural development. We close with brief descriptions of the five studies that comprise this special issue. Copyright © 2011 SAGE Publishing.