Evaluation CriteriaDuring the application process, the association "AM-TTC Alliance" as the govering body of AM-TTC network will have the role to decide which centers will become a part of the AM-TTC network, to decide which centers will receive financial support from the ETH Board funds in the pilot phase 2019 / 2020 and to prepare funding recommendations for the SERI for the period 2021 to 2024. The "AM-TTC Alliance" has defined a set of criteria that it will use to evaluate the applications of centers who want to become a part of the AM-TTC network. The evaluation criteria and corresponding questions are listed below. In addition, you can download the evaluation criteria as PDF file.
1 Focus Area, Demand and Importance
1.1 Focus area
Is there a well-defined focus area of the Center in advanced manufacturing that differentiates the Center from other organizations? 1.2 Gap between lab research and industry applications
How big is the gap between research on a lab scale and industrial production and applications in the defined focus area taking into account existing capabilities and facilities? 1.3 Feasibility to close the gap
How high is the feasibility it to close the gap between lab research and industrial application by the establishment of the Center? 1.4 Difficulty to close the gap
How difficult is it to close the gap for industry and how much do the research organizations need to contribute with their capabilities and cutting-edge technology to enable the technology transfer? 1.5 Importance for the Swiss industry
How important is the Center for the Swiss industry – also long-term – and will the Center impact the competitiveness of companies that are active in the defined focus area? 2 Competences and Capabilities
2.1 Involvement of important partners
Does the Center involve the important players of the scientific and technical community in Switzerland that are active in the defined focus area? 2.2 Competences of staff and partners
Are the competences of the Center staff and of the involved partners suitable and sufficient to ensure that the Center will become an attractive technology transfer partner for the scientific and technical community in the focus area? 2.3 Suitability of capabilities and facilities
Are the capabilities and facilities of the Center suitable and sufficient to close the gap between lab scale research and industrial applications in the defined focus area? 3 Financials
3.1 Business plan
Is there a sound and realistic mid- and long-term business plan which includes a strategic plan and which shows the business development (projects, services, etc.), key partners, roadmaps and milestones of technology features achieved, a SWOT analysis, etc.? 3.2 Sustainability of the business
Is it likely that existing or future partners will fund the activities of the Center also beyond an initial four year period and that there will be customers who are interested in the Center’s capabilities and offerings in the long-term? 3.3 Financially strong and committed partners
Is there a group of committed and strong partners of the Center and have these partners the capability and willingness to financially support the Center, in case the financial needs are beyond what is foreseen in the business plan? 4 Readiness to Start
4.1 Personnel
Is there a designated core team to run the Center, in particular a CEO or managing director and a team of experienced and competent people, who can run the facilities, develop the business and implement the business plan? 4.2 Buildings and infrastructure
Can the Center start its activities by using adequate and already available buildings and infrastructure? 4.3 Business environment
Is the Center embedded in a business environment that supports and facilitates the activities of the Center, e.g. other organizations that are close by and that have related activities, businesses partners and facilities? 5 Formal Criteria
5.1 Legal entity
Is the Center an independent, non-profit legal entity, e.g. a non-profit AG or GmbH that is either already established or ready to be established in due time? 5.2 Public-private partnership
Has the Center important and relevant public as well as private partners that have officially expressed their interest and commitment, e.g. in the earlier planning phases by an LOI or MOU and in later planning phases by contractual agreements regarding their contributions and financial commitment? |
Related documents
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The AM-TTC initiative is a measure in the federal action plan for digitalisation in the ERI sector to promote innovation and to speed up knowledge transfer.
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The ETH Board supports the AM-TTC initiative and provides funding for the establishment of first technology transfer centers in 2019/2020.
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