Global Direct Investment Solutions

Corporate Development for a Networked World

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B2B Searches for Alliances, Joint Ventures, or R&D Commercialization

Bruce Donnelly   bruce@gdi-solutions.com    (Biography)

These services promote the development of new B2B alliances which bring businesses together to develop new technologies and bring them to market, including entry into new geographic markets for rapid commercialization of innovative new or existing products.  This includes service sector innovation (IT, communications, software, business process improvement, digital media, marketing and distribution channels, financial services, etc.).

The structure of such relationships may vary, including very close alliances or partnerships as well as more arms-length relationships between companies which share some common interests.  This involves more than just searches for local manufacturer's representatives or distributors, or technology standards development.  See the further explanation below

Suggestions are welcome.  This new directory remains under development.

We recognize, however, that some of the technologies which drive their growth may emerge through other approaches to corporate development as successful R&D work is identified and converted into technology-driven projects, which may involve technology alliances or M&A deals between large and small companies with common interests. 

For example, large companies may complement their own corporate R&D programs and budget resources through external initiatives to identify technologies of interest at smaller companies or new ventures, and these small ventures may need the large companies as a global distribution channel to produce and bring their innovations to market quickly as new products, rather than attempt as small ventures to grow their own global product testing, certification, production, distribution, marketing, sales, and customer service processes.

We are therefore interested in the B2B alliance process in order to be responsive to the executives we serve, even though it is not the primary focus of our own referral work.

The Partners4Technology (P4T) network of business participants is supported by IGA's network of local economic development organizations - EDO - and investment promotion agencies - IPA - around the world, typically through business retention and expansion services or trade development missions to help growing companies within their areas to find potentially relevant business contacts and partners elsewhere.

InterTech networking events will be hosted in sponsor locations worldwide periodically to bring P4T and IGA contacts together through pre-scheduled introductory meetings according to their specified interests.

The "Unite" software technology developed for the automatic web-based scheduling of introductory meetings among event attendees is also available for licensing to other partnering event organizers, such as industry associations and trade shows or special business networking events and conferences.

October 10-11, 2005

Magdeburg, Germany

www.intertech2005.com

Fly there on EasyJet

Phil Eadon - email

Biographic Profile

Partners4Technology

The International Business Introduction Service

IGA is the sponsor network behind the InterTech events and P4T business network.

EDO's and IPA's should contact Phil to discuss participation or future event sponsorship.

Conference Manager for industry events which Burrill & Company sponsors.

Suggestions are welcome.  This new section remains under development.

In particular, we would be interested in knowing about any services which have proven to be very successful at the introduction of executives to peers at other companies for the purpose of developing new alliances.  This would include feedback from executives who are responsible for "external research" to support their corporate R&D programs.

In short, we're mainly looking for proven B2B "matchmaker" services which can guide the R&D commercialization process by introducing potential products to the entrepreneurial companies which can develop and take them to market effectively.

These are not necessarily associated with such things as "business incubators" or "science parks", as they may not involve academic connections or new real estate needs at all.  Incubator initiatives are often involved in "pushing" one place, such as a particular real estate project which may offer some academic or other support infrastructure for R&D work or entrepreneurs.  Such developments might be highlighted in the relevant Real Estate or regional contacts section, but not here.  Some types of "incubators", however, serve the matchmaking role envisioned in this special directory.

The idea is to find services which successfully help executives with common business development interests to find each other more easily, which can include such things as specialized networking events and online communities beyond the general networking function of industry trade shows and seminars.

Note that we also maintain contacts among specialists in credits and incentives such as R&D tax credits, lists of research and development centers such as university science and technology parks or business incubators, .

We also are not seeking "e-marketing" services to consolidate marketing activities, such as through vertical industry portals ("vortals") by publishers or transaction processors.  Some of these may be identified in the Research section as potential resources for industry sector research.

We're looking for services experienced and actively engaged in the strategic matching of companies to develop and market new technologies together, which can include initiatives to find entrepreneurs who can independently commercialize R&D ideas which a company may have chosen not to develop further (off-strategy, etc.).  Although industry associations may provide member directory services to help find relevant contacts, they usually are not actively engaged in the process of directly introducing specific members to each other according to their specific interests.  They may organize networking events for their members, but that is not the same as proactively developing relationships among them.

Although some "trade promotion" programs offer services such as "joint venture searches" for matching companies with common interests, as in the case of Canada as one example, which may be of interest, we would be even more interested in private-sector initiatives which are demonstrably bringing companies together successfully, whether through alliances, joint venture partnerships, or other structures, including M&A deals.

For example, groups of angel investors and venture capital firms or individual venture capitalists sometimes work together with local business associations to support the development of industry clusters and networking among business executives and services because such activities reinforce their own deal flow and networking value too.  Law firms which specialize in patent registration and intellectual property law or disputes may also be relevant, but are listed separately from this directory.

See our "advertising recall" service which highlights recently published ads, or our "event recall" service, with website links and contacts.