Chapter 28 W/ Jonathan Wareham

Big Science Research Infrastructures (RIs) have a strong track record of producing “deep-tech,” which has transformed industries and society. Yet, cultivating novel applications from these RIs is not straightforward due to often misaligned priorities with industry partners and the inherent technical complexity and market uncertainties in their technologies. Open Innovation (OI) provides a framework to address these challenges and nourish a mutually beneficial relationship between RIs and entrepreneurial industry actors. Showcasing the potential of applying OI mechanisms to facilitate the commercialization of deep tech, this chapter highlights ATTRACT, a novel initiative funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program, to facilitate the commercialization of early-stage technologies from Big Science RIs. The findings suggest that many open innovation practices can be useful in getting these sophisticated deep technologies into the market: ATTRACT facilitates project development by offering financial resources for risk absorption, brokering relationships with industrial partners, and facilitating the applications of technologies in diverse domains outside their immediate purview