SME and Business Development

New technology and new know-how provide a host of new opportunities for trade and industry, and for the sound and prosperous development of our society. However, they also present a challenge, since they require greater flexibility,
more globalisation, faster implementation of new know-how and technology, new managerial and organisational structures, and greater effectiveness in development, production and distribution.

DTI offers a variety of services related to overall innovation and business development to firms and public authorities, including regional and cluster analysis development.

DTI has extensive experience in: development of framework conditions for traditional as well as more research intensive business sectors, user and technology driven innovation, radical innovation and innovation management, organisation and human resource management, workplace and organisational learning and education planning, as well as issues related to digitalisation, such as SME IT application, IT supported innovation, eLearning, eWork and eGovernment.

By offering services the private sector DTI facilitates the development of trade and industry by undertaking concrete assignments for Danish trade and industry and in a number of various areas; it plays a very special role in relation to small and
medium-sized enterprises.

The twin emphasis of DTI on application of technology and business development is recognised nationally as well as internationally, and means that DTI has a unique, multifaceted and comprehensive business development strategy and
innovation environment.

The Institute’s technical departments are deeply involved in high tech research and development activities, innovation consortia in cooperation with private enterprises and universities and other knowledge institutions, as well as government funded contract research, thereby making advanced knowledge and technologies accessible and readily available for application. Further, DTI has in-house laboratories and workshops for product testing, product development and advanced prototyping.

DTI also offers a wide variety of specialised advisory services related to innovation, innovation management and business development which position the Institute at the front when it comes to user and technology driven innovation and
business development.  

The Institute’s closely knit innovation management network consists of a number of DTI departments which on a continuous basis cooperate across organisational boundaries, and includes departments such as the Danish Invention Centre,
Technology Partnership, Technology Innovation Inc., Copenhagen County Business Development Centre, and the EuroCentre.

In terms of international projects, the SME related services of DTI focus on:

• Creating private sector networks and support structures that will enable private sector enterprises to develop and thus support industrial and social welfare.
• Development of skills within private sector operators (enterprises and support organisations) to facilitate private enterprise growth and ensure state-of-the-art operation of enterprises in developing countries.
• Development of strategic investment schemes and promotion of investment in order to facilitate the necessary financial backdrop for the growth of SMEs.
• Building joint technology-business platforms and service systems to promote the creation and growth of small and medium size enterprises, particularly within high technology or technology intensive sectors.
• Restructuring technological infrastructures to operate as interfaces between industry and national as well as international R&D, thus facilitating business applications, transfer of technologies and, ultimately, economic growth.
• Upgrading technology and management skills of key managers of technologically oriented enterprises and business institutions to help them meet the new requirements of competitive and open economies through our counselling, training and train-the-trainer activities.
• Reducing the adverse impact from environmentally harmful production technologies by introducing Cleaner Technologies at strategically well-placed production sites to maximise the dem­onstration and social multiplier effects or by equipping national producer associations, institutions of higher education and local authorities with the required skills to install and employ these processes.