• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Vaikuttavuussaatio

Vaikuttavuussaatio

Vaikuttavuussäätiö vahvistaa ja tukee huippututkimuksen vaikuttavuutta ja elinkeinoelämän yhteyksiä.

  • FI
  • EN
  • Front page
  • Funding
    • Open calls
    • Previous calls
    • Projects funded
  • Foundation
    • About
    • Annual reports
    • Blog
    • Assessment of Impact
  • Publications
  • Contact

SMEs keen to make good use of research, report finds – but struggle to see its practical relevance

SMEs keen to make good use of research, report finds – but struggle to see its practical relevance

1.6.2022 by vaikuttavuussaatio

Finnish SMEs are keen to make good use of science and research but do not see sufficiently robust benefits or relevant research subjects. This is the main message a new report commissioned by the Finnish Research Impact Foundation on the use of research knowledge among Finnish SMEs. At the same time, though, half of the companies represented in the survey said they would want to take a driving role in research utilization.

Download report in Finnish

Format: pdf
Size: 1,3MB

Download here

The research for the report addressed the motives, benefits and barriers to research utilization. It was conducted by a team of three Doctors of Science in Technology from LUT University (Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology): Tero Rantala, Minna Saunila and Juhani Ukko.

The survey data was collected among Finnish SMEs in March 2022. A questionnaire was sent out to management representatives of a random sample of SMEs. Responses were received from 108 different companies.

Research utilized in multiple ways – main focus on developing human skills

The report observes that Finnish SMEs place great value on the varied knowledge produced by universities and research institutes and on the utilization of that knowledge.

Practices of research utilization (1 = not significant, 5 = highly significant practice): average scores for responses.

Analysis of the data showed that the main benefits gained from research were explained by successful R&D projects, research institute spinoffs, contract research projects, and patents and licences.

According to the respondents, however, the most significant forms of research utilization were training and education (identified as significant by 77%) and informal relations (59%).

Absence of relevant research considered major barrier to utilization

The single biggest barrier to making good use of research excellence was thought to lie in the absence of relevant research for SMEs’ own needs and purposes: 76% of SMEs said that research was not addressing practically relevant issues – or at least the respondents said they were not aware of such research. Other major barriers to research utilization were the absence of perceived benefits from research to the business, time pressures and lack of funds.

Barriers to research utilization (1 = not a significant barrier, 5 = highly significant barrier): average scores for top 10 most significant perceived barriers.

“We were all quite taken aback by the finding that many SMEs also thought communication about research results was a major barrier to research utilization. It’s clear that researchers and research organizations need to take a hard look in the mirror and consider the ways in which we interact and communicate with SMEs and maintain meaningful and relevant contact with them,” says Tero Rantala, one of the lead researchers on team.

Tero Rantala, Doctor of Science (Technology), is researcher at LUT University.

Many SMEs keen to take a driving role in research utilization

Half of the respondents said the companies they represented would be keen to take a driving role in research utilization. The survey responses indicated that for these future trailblazers, lack of funds, lack of communication about research results and the absence of established procedures were more significant barriers to research utilization than for other respondents. These are predominantly service companies whose main market is not clearly limited to Finland and whose industry branch is characterized by rapid technological development and the prominence of sustainable development.

“These future trailblazers are companies that are not necessarily in the position to independently produce the research knowledge they need. Instead they have to actively look for ways to access new knowledge and skills. These types of research-hungry companies that have difficulty gaining access to research knowledge are going to have the greatest need for support in the future,” Tero Rantala continues.

Companies interested in maximizing the use of research excellence showed a more positive attitude than others to working closely with universities and other research organizations, but at the same time they were least satisfied with their current collaboration with universities and research institutes.

“SMEs don’t always find what they are looking for in the academic world. It’s possible that the needs identified by the company are so novel that research on the subject hasn’t even started yet. Or then the required dialogue is not in place and SMEs are not getting all the information about what’s going on at universities and research institutes,” Rantala says.

Lauri Oksanen, Chairman of the FRIF Board, explains the foundation’s rationale for commissioning the new report: “We wanted to gain a clearer picture of how SMEs use knowledge and how we could contribute to improving the interaction and cooperation of SMEs and research organizations. SMEs are an integral part of Finnish business and industry, but they remain an inadequately understood asset from the point of view of research utilization.”

SMEs

Statistics Finland figures for 2020 show that there are some 2,800 Finnish SMEs engaged in R&D (companies with less than 250 staff).

Figures for 2019 show that 93% of Finland’s 293,377 companies have less than 10 staff; 5.7% are small firms with less than 50 staff; 1.1% have 50–249 staff; and the remaining 0.2% are large companies with more than 250 staff.

SMEs are a major employer in Finland and have created large numbers of new jobs throughout the 2000s. The SME sector accounts for more than one-half of total business turnover in Finland and for over 40% of national GDP.
Sources: Statistics Finland and Suomen Yrittäjät.

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn

Filed Under: Blog, Blog

Footer

Vaikuttavuussäätiö

Eteläranta 10 (PL 5), 00130 Helsinki
+358 40 767 1631
petro (at) vaikuttavuussaatio.fi

Laskutustiedot →

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Privacy Policy →

Copyright © 2023 Vaikuttavuussäätiö

By accepting cookies, you make your service experience as smooth as possible. Some cookies are used for statistical purposes and others are related to services provided by third parties. By selecting ACCEPT, you agree to the use of cookies. Read moreSettings REJECTACCEPT
Cookiesettings

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category .
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Analytics" category .
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional1 yearThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Necessary" category .
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to store the user consent for cookies in the category "Others".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to store the user consent for cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy1 yearThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin to store whether or not the user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
CookieDurationDescription
bcookie2 yearsLinkedIn sets this cookie from LinkedIn share buttons and ad tags to recognize browser ID.
bscookie2 yearsLinkedIn sets this cookie to store performed actions on the website.
langsessionLinkedIn sets this cookie to remember a user's language setting.
lidc1 dayLinkedIn sets the lidc cookie to facilitate data center selection.
UserMatchHistory1 monthLinkedIn sets this cookie for LinkedIn Ads ID syncing.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
_ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_ga_MEFLNRCR5S2 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics.
_gat_UA-160708278-11 minuteA variation of the _gat cookie set by Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to allow website owners to track visitor behaviour and measure site performance. The pattern element in the name contains the unique identity number of the account or website it relates to.
_gcl_au3 monthsProvided by Google Tag Manager to experiment advertisement efficiency of websites using their services.
_gid1 dayInstalled by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
CONSENT2 yearsYouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
CookieDurationDescription
_fbp3 monthsThis cookie is set by Facebook to display advertisements when either on Facebook or on a digital platform powered by Facebook advertising, after visiting the website.
fr3 monthsFacebook sets this cookie to show relevant advertisements to users by tracking user behaviour across the web, on sites that have Facebook pixel or Facebook social plugin.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysA cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
YSCsessionYSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
yt-remote-connected-devicesneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
yt-remote-device-idneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
CookieDurationDescription
AnalyticsSyncHistory1 monthNo description
li_gc2 yearsNo description
Save & Accept