The Role of Small Research and Service Companies as a New Subject of Innovation Ecosystems

This paper presents the results of the research of the institutional structure of innovation ecosystems, which was completed within a grant from the European Union (#R076 CAROTS of Interreg Baltic Sea Region 2019–2021). A new actor, an institutional formation of innovation ecosystems, is highlighted and described: Small (Specialized) Scientific Service Companies (SSSC). The statistical survey, microeconomic analysis, case studies and in-depth interviews with Russian and European companies made it possible to create an SSSC business model and formulate its main building blocks, which point to the institutional specialization and unique function of an innovation ecosystem: acceleration of the technological transfer by providing scientific services (R&D, measurements, trials, analysis and testing) for startups and industry. SSSC are highly specialized scientific service micro and small private companies, founded by researchers with the goal of commercializing the founders’ scientific competencies. The presence of its own lab facilities and the R&D competencies of the founders define SSSC as an mediator in the innovation process, whose scientific services accelerate the development of new products and technology by startups and the research and development carried out by the divisions of industrial enterprises. The nature and process of the self-organization of SSSC in innovation ecosystems is analyzed. The economic indicators of the pan-European segment of SSSC, the competition factors and the contractual relationships with the actors (subjects) of the ecosystems are examined: industry, startups, universities, research infrastructure. The area for future research of SSSC focused on developing the business efficiency of the actors in innovation ecosystems is set out.