Understanding the roles of private consultants as innovation intermediaries in technology transfer: a case study in the Portuguese National Innovation System

Abstract

The fields of innovation systems and technology transfer (TT) have seen growing interest in recent years, especially in the context of open innovation. Private consultants, play a vital role in mediating and facilitating interactions among various stakeholders in the innovation process. However, the specific roles of private consultants as innovation intermediaries have received limited attention in the literature. This study presents a case analysis of a Portuguese consultancy firm involved in 219 TT projects between 2015 and 2021. The research identifies six key intermediary roles consistently played by the consultancy: funding and finance, project management, technology scouting, design and ideation, feasibility assessment, and marketing/business development. The study further reveals that the type of entity initiating the TT project may influence the roles performed by private consultants. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the evolving nature and significance of private consultants as intermediaries in technology transfer.