university–enterprise cooperation

108
economic activity. For example, spin-offs are
the main mechanism for the rapid growth
of technopolises like Silicon Valey, Route
128, Austin, Cambridge and others. The
university spin-off is defined as a company
that is founded
1. By a faculty member, staff member, or
students who left the university to start
a company or who started the company
while still affiliated with the university;
and/or
2. Around a technology or technology-based
idea developed within the university.
To survive and prosper in an era of global
competition, universities must become
entrepreneurial universities. Entrepreneurial
university means much more than the transfer of
knowledge or the birthplace of high technology
spin-offs. Being an entrepreneurial university
means being innovative with its programmes,
research projects, institutional development,
internationalization, and being able to generate
income to supplement government funding. The
regional benefit need not be produced simply
by interactions between the university and its
spin-off companies. It is important to stress
that the regional knowledge pool remains an
important part of the contribution that spinoffs
bring, through the various elements of
relationships between universities and their
spin-offs However, as it is shown in the model
in Figure 4 there are other actors and other
important relationships contributing to this
positive relationship and to the regional
impact in terms of creating territorial learning
and knowledge assets.
Bering in mind that WBC region has a pool
of talented, motivated and well-educated
young researchers, we suggest forming
incubation centers within Science and
Technology parks with the aim to encourage
academics and students to establish spin-off
companies to commercialize the results
of scientific inventions made within the
academic laboratories. Such companies are
typically small high technology companies.
The commercialization of scientific research
through spin-offs is a direct means of
transferring knowledge from higher education
institutions to the SME sector. The close
proximity to the Universities in WBCs, the
possibilities of networking with both big and
small companies in the local environment,
Case Study: DMS Group
The DMS Group, Novi Sad, located within the science-technology part of the University in Novi Sad, Serbia,
is an advanced IT company of more than 300 developers (the average age of the group is 35) that has created the
Distribution Management System (DMS) software product. DMS Software is organized modularly, the partner
companies are able to selectively use only the parts (software) missing from their offer (e.g. selected DMS
Functions, data base, graphic user interface, DMS server, etc). Apart from selling licenses for DMS Software,
DMS Group has a large and experienced project team, which, on partner companies’ requests, provides
services in tender/proposal phase, as well as in installation, engineering, commissioning and training for
system use.
After eight years of being partners, Telvent and DMS Group together founded a new joint venture under the
name Telvent DMS. Telvent DMS LLC is a private IT Company for research, development and engineering in
the field of the electrical power engineering management software. Its main product, the DMS Software,
encompasses a variety of analytical functions for calculation and optimization in the electrical industry, and
provides the tools necessary for efficient monitoring, managing, design and optimization of distribution
systems. This package is a 21st-century software system for performing all technical tasks in distribution
utilities in an efficient and optimal way that fulfills modern power industry development requirements
across the world. This software tool enables utility personnel to: achieve high-quality knowledge about
their electrical network, efficiently utilize, design and develop distribution facilities, reduce losses and
operation costs, raise the profit (revenue) of the utility and improve the quality and quantity of supply of
electrical energy to consumers.
Telvent and DMS Group have launched projects together in over 100 control centers worldwide including
Tunisia (six control centers), Italy for the ENEL utility (29 control centers), Macedonia (28 control centers),
Serbia (17 control centers), as well as in other countries such as Peru, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela,
Argentina, Mexico, Indonesia.
DMS Group has taken second place at the Competition for the Best Technology Innovation, in Serbia, 2009.