INNOVATION MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER WITHIN A MODEL OF INNOVATION CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY POLITECHNICA OF BUCHAREST

Flexibility of services is one of the most important aspects of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) survival in a crisis economy. Product life cycles are shorter and shorter, SMEs must be able to evaluate the market risks and yet to remain creative and develop their innovation capacity for their products and services. Analyzing the results of a survey among research specialists in engineering (expert interviews which gives the title of another article), the need for innovation and innovation management in the SMEs is significant. These enterprises can be guided (coached) with a new approach. This is a model of an Innovation center, where SMEs, but not exclusively, are guided to identify and manage their innovation potential and supported with valuable know-how in technology transfer from the technical University. The model is new for it has itself a flexible structure and unites the know-how of technology transfer with the entrepreneurial skills of the SMEs. The value of the model developed and applied into the technical Universities is that it is a new instrument for optimizing the innovation management of small enterprises and for helping them to increase the quality of their products and services. Universities have to adapt their provided services to the market and permanently add value to the services provided.