Materials, Methods & Technologies, Volume 16, 2022

Abstract: This paper aims at identifying and empirically evaluating the critical success factors for technology transfer practices (TTP) from the Technology Interface Center (TecIC) dedicated to the metalworking industry into the industrial and manufacturing ecosystem in the Portuguese context based on a case study from a metallography laboratory. The authors will explore the rationale and practical implications for TTP in four vectors: i) technology adoption and technological outputs adoption by the industrial ecosystem; ii) networks, standardization, and knowledge creation; iii) lifelong learning/training and team capacitation; iv) industrial, academic and TecIC ecosystems interaction and knowledge and outputs transfer. This work calls attention for the central role of support and development that infrastructures such has technology interface centers play in accelerating technology transfer practices to the industrial ecosystem, especially in small and medium sized enterprises or highly differentiated organizations. The adoption by the industrial ecosystem of new or renewed processes and practices are also mediated and potentiated by the differentiated access to knowledge networks, access to technology, and technology mediated outputs such as the one promoted by TecIC.