Technology transfer at CERN: a study on inter-organizational knowledge transfer within multi-national R&D collaborations

This study focus on the knowledge aspect of inter-organizational technology transfer projects. We have studied two large R&D collaborations where CERN is involved as one of several participating organizations, in order to reveal the causalities related to the knowledge transfer processes within these projects. The objective of the study is to understand how knowledge transfer happens, identify influencing factors to the process, and finally investigate the outcome of such processes. The study is founded on a thorough literature review where we examine different aspects of inter-organizational knowledge transfer. Based on the theory, we develop an analytic framework and establish different elements in the knowledge transfer process to study in more detail. This framework illustrates the relation between the different elements in a knowledge transfer process and provides the structure for our empirical foundation. We perform an explanatory embedded multiple case study and analyze our findings in terms of the communicative aspects of knowledge transfer, including the enablers and barriers thereof. Furthermore, we identify the influence of contextual factors on an individual and organizational level related to the outcome of knowledge transfer. The identified elements in the framework are analyzed both separately and holistically in order to explain substantial causalities. Based on this theoretical and empirical evidence we draw up a set of management implications to support project managers in their effort to improve the transfer of knowledge in technology transfer projects. These implications are targeted towards CERN as our principal during the study. Our research is a contribution to the understanding of the knowledge aspects of technology transfer. We have performed a diverse study based on extensive theoretical and empirical material in order to present a wide understanding of knowledge transfer and different affecting factors. Such approach to understand knowledge transfer at big science centers like CERN is not done before.