Collaborative Platform for interaction University-Company based on a Knowledge Management Model Luis Alejandro Rojas 1, Juan Carlos Guevara 1, Ginna Largo 1 1 Distrital University Francisco Jose of Caldas, Colombia Key words: Collaborative Platform, Knowledge Management Model, Interface Unit, University-Company Interaction. Abstract: This article describes the different components and phases which was used to the design, development and launching of an collaborative platform based in a knowledge management model and technological infrastructure that allow support relation between research groups of the Distrital University and companies. This project has been supported by Distrital University, METIS research group and was financed as a formal research project by CIDC, Research and Scientific Development Centre from same university. 1 Background The universal trend in universities in the major developed countries in the world is towards closer interaction with industry. In fact some countries like the UK, Hong Kong, Australia and some in Asia have a policy for the conduct of research programs at universities to ensure that evaluation results of research projects have high impact and show results concrete to be implemented in industry [1]. In Colombia as in most Latin American countries, university-business interaction has been very poor [2] as indicated by international standards: Few people involved in research and development regarding the industrialized countries, very low percentage of GDP is intended for research and there is a low number of patents granted to nationals [3]. But today it is imperative for universities in Latin America to connect more closely with the industry to increase levels of competitiveness of countries as the global environment, the free trade and economic growth model based on the growth in exports demand products and services with a greater amount of knowledge and technology embedded. In the world, the interface unit the Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT has been focused primarily on pioneering work with companies to sell or research findings through instruments of protection of intellectual property such as patents and licensing of technology. The companies, in this system, they benefit because they can count on solutions tailored to their requirements when working in conjunction with the university or they can optimize their spending on research and development to directly buy patents without incurring the consequent risk the uncertainty of having productive results of research by working on their own. The university, for its part, besides earning royalties from intellectual property to protect their advantage to produce new opportunities for projects of its graduates and their research groups. Interface units need a systematic process of university-business interaction. One of the most successful ways of structuring the relationship in this way is through the knowledge management models [4]. These models take into account all factors that influence the ICL 2009 Proceedings - Page 382 1(5)
University-Enterprise in their communication strategies with each other and with other actors (government, consumers, etc.) as well as its internal organizational structure. In the Faculty of Technology University District issues university business interaction is very similar to the situation in Latin America. For example, many of the results of research projects and projects developed by grade students are lost because there is a system that is responsible for collecting the results and send them strategically to companies that might be interested. In this way, to articulate the university-industry relationship in a systematic way at the Faculty of Technology was necessary to obtain a knowledge management model that represents the processes of interaction between these two agents and then to implement this model similar to an interface unit, through the prototype of a collaborative platform. The prototype was allowed and the interaction between power companies and three of the software industry. Currently, there are no applications of knowledge management models implemented as a collaborative platform for interaction University-Industry in Colombia. Successful unions in the world have been through the systematic application of knowledge management models between universities and companies. For example, the Polytechnic University of Valencia in Spain and the University of Coimbra in Portugal have implemented management models knowledge environment via WEB interface units that offer a process of interaction among companies and universities through the exchange of services as consulting, tele-education, access to the work of research groups and so on. 2 Approach the solution In the case of the Faculty of Technology in addition to refer cases involving the unit previously defined an interface structure that allows companies to offer different products obtained from the results of the grade of students as well as those developed by research groups. Particularly in the collaborative platform prototype development that offers products related to the research group METIS tool but will in the future than other groups as well as the rest of the Faculty of Technology students can do the same. The project will develop six major phases: reading and analyzing literature necessary organizational analysis of the different institutions, definition of knowledge management model that supports the organizational system, defining the organizational system that supports the operation of the unit interface design and development of a collaborative platform and performance of the prototype. The organizational analysis of the different institutions provides a study of organizational characteristics and requirements that allow the interaction of these actors (Faculty of Technology and Business). To achieve this end is first analyzed various sectors of the economy Bogota and select one in particular is capable of working in the interaction with the Faculty of Technology through the application of a methodology for analyzing strategic sectors [5]. Later, a study within the Faculty of Technology and agents businesses selected to determine the structures of each and understand that the strategic interests and motivate each other to work. 2.1 Knowledge Management Model: Technological Faculty & Software Companies ICL 2009 Proceedings - Page 383 2(5)
Once the analysis was obtained from the interaction and Technology Faculty established businesses, defined the model of knowledge management that would support the relationship, which establish: different communities of practice exist, the types of knowledge that is handled in each of the communities, the processes of knowledge of each type of knowledge, knowledge of the map of the organization and management model of knowledge. In addition, model was based on structure of correlation Offers Demands of the Economic Theory. This one affects interrelationship between agents where each one demands the solution of a need, but at the same time offers products and services that could give solution to needs of another agents. Inside this context the interrelationship will be strong and of a long-term because the parts are satisfied. Inside the environment of the Faculty and Software Companies, Figure 1, there was elaborated a list of offers and demands that existed for each of the agents and they found the points where correlation exists. Figure 1 Knowledge Management Model for University Company Interaction 2.2 Collaborative Platform for University-Company Interaction Subsequently, it defined the organizational system that represents and supports the interaction between the Faculty of Technology and Business. The definition of the organizational system was based on the strategic diagnosis of the Faculty of Technology and the companies selected and the model of knowledge management to strengthen its objectives and targets. Once the system was defined organizational began designing and developing a prototype of a collaborative platform to strengthen and support the operation of the organizational system. This site includes the construction of venues for the management of information itself Faculty of Technology and the interaction of the three companies selected sector and scenarios for the management of knowledge among the institutions. Inside the context, across collaborative platform, Figure 2, companies type topic in which they need collaboration and then is realized a massive search inside Degree and Research Projects ICL 2009 Proceedings - Page 384 3(5)
developed in the Faculty. The results show a list with the coincidences affected with the specific information of project author, it is student or research group. Then company can contact indicated persons to request the consultancy or necessary advising asked topic given the experience that this person or group have acquired across the development of the academic project. Figure 2 Collaborative Platform of University Company Interaction In this way, there would solve one of the classic problems of universities respect of which great part of your offer of intellectual production is not known in the productive sector. Of equal way for the companies it turns into a tool that allows to know that you present or groups have knowledge of some topic especially respect of which they want to realize projects to the interior of the companies. Finally, collaborative platform was evaluated and were defined strategies which allow improving prototype, as the organizational system and model of knowledge management that support it and allocate a more fluid work relations. 3 Conclusions The interaction university - company in Colombia is limited enough largely due to fact every agent chases different aims. They need to plan bridges that connect to both parts of a systematic way from mutual interests. The knowledge management model has allowed that offers and demands should connect between the Technological Faculty and Software companies across a Collaborative Platform in Internet. Hereby there has been achieved an initial approximation that has allowed the university to be able to show to the sector of the ICL 2009 Proceedings - Page 385 4(5)
software especially in a concrete way the type of projects of degree and research that have developed and that previously were of difficult diffusion. 4 Results The collaborative platform currently is running, which has facilitated the interaction between the business software sectors initially and research groups from the Faculty of Technology. This work has been support for development of new research projects that integrate the needs organizational models Knowledge management virtual worlds. References: [1] Geuna, Aldo and Martin Ben (2001) University Research Evaluation and Funding: An International Comparison, University of Sussex, UK. [2] Melo, Alberto (2001) The Innovation Systems of Latin America and the Caribbean, Work paper 460 BID, pp. 12-15. [3] Arocena, Rodrigo y Sutz, Judith (2006) El estudio de la innovación desde el sur y las perspectivas de un nuevo desarrollo, Revista Iberoamericana de Ciencia, Tecnología, Sociedad e Innovación No 7, Septiembre-Diciembre, pp. 1-2. [4] Nonaka, I y Takeuchi, H. (1995). La Organización Creadora de Conocimiento. Cómo las compañías japonesas crean la dinámica de la innovación. Oxford, 1995. [5] Restrepo, Luis Fernando y Rivera, Hugo (2006). Análisis estructural de sectores estratégicos, Fondo de publicaciones Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia. Author(s): Luis Alejandro, Rojas, Magister and Professors at UDFJC larojasc@udistrital.edu.co Juan Carlos, Guevara Bolaños, Magister and Professors at UDFJC jcguevara@udistrital.edu.co Ginna E., Largo, Technologist in Systematization of Information, Telematic Eng. Student ginna_largo_ud@yahoo.com ICL 2009 Proceedings - Page 386 5(5)