Research with an Impact: Evaluation Practises in Public Research Organisations Research note

摘要

This publication highlights the benefits of and the challenges faced in assessing the societal impacts of public research organizations, based on a research project (JYVA) focusing on the perceptions, practices and philosophies associated with the assessment of the socio-economic impacts of research and development. The JYVA-project was undertaken in a consortium between five Finnish public research organizations (PROs) involved in R&D activity: Agrifood Research Finland (MTT), Finnish Defence Forces Technical Research Centre (PVTT), Helia University of Business and Applied Sciences (HELIA), Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (SAMK) and the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). The main aims of the project were to develop the necessary methods and indicators needed to analyze the impacts in each organization, and to test an analytical framework for impact assessment developed within VTT. The main findings and policy implications are discussed here on the basis of three related perspectives: objectives (as they relate to organizational perspectives); indicators (as they relate to the innovation process more generally); and learning (both in terms of actors and policy).