Reaping the Benefits of Big Science Infrastructures for Innovation

The construction and operation of large-scale research infrastructure (Big Science Infrastructure – BSI) such as CERN can generate numerous other economically and socially relevant services over and above the pure research results. BSI centres, e.g., often require new technologies to carry out their experiments and therefore act as important first customers that reduce the market risks for companies developing this equipment or software. BSI centres can therefore be important transnational actors for the national innovation systems of the countries that fund them. However, due to the complexity of BSI, the proactive use of this potential requires specialised support organisations, such as those used by leading innovation countries like Germany, Denmark, Finland, Sweden or Switzerland. Austria lacks such institutions and the use of BSI centres for innovation activities is not a strategic goal of RTI policy. This Research Brief describes possible ways of making greater use of BSI centres for the Austrian innovation system.