Investment Knowledge Center MTC

Purpose and goal

The sequence investment has continued in order to build on the initial project-plan, which aimed to establish MTC as a self-funded center of excellence in service innovation. MTC has succeeded in the role of center of expertise, but the conditions for industrial funding changed considerably with Vinnovas initiation of SIOS. It remains difficult to ensure a base- economy for a center when the alternative is public support. Instead, MTC exercised it´s role as a knowledge-node by utilizing various activities, projects and challenge-groups to build a financing.

Results and expected effects

The Foundation Marketing Technology Centre has developed into a sought-after partner for other strategic innovation areas and agendas. This confirms Marketing Technologivcal Center´s role as knowledge-node in services. The partnerships that were pursued in the follow-up investment has been realized. This cooperation does not however generate an adequate economic contribution to MTCs business. Other activities that MTC operates; seminars and challenge groups, have increased in scope in terms of both number of activities and number of involved companies.

Approach and implementation

The role of catalyst with significant interactions and relationships with stakeholders, takes time. The sales and financial cycles are often long. There are clear funds in specific projects, but few have an interest in funding a strategic area, which is required to act structured and forcefully. Our cross-functional role that creates learning across sectors and discourage silo-work is appreciated and requested, but is hard to sell to financiers - as evaluation systems are not adapted to this function and demand.