Abstract:

The importance of the practise relevance of the research results as well as the need of the transfer activities with research projects are underlined by two new draughts of research promotion:
1. Transfer Engineering
2. Innovative Structures of Research Promotion.

At this point we would like to have a quick glance at the innovative structures of research promotion:
In the research programme of the German Ministry of Education “Working. Learning. Developing Compentencies. Innovation Ability in a modern Working Life” five different elements structure and support the research work (cp. fig):

1. cooperative projects, 2. focus groups, 3. funding priority and 4. research programme 5. the political field of action (Henning/Leisten/Bach/Hees 2009: 14-17).

These innovative structures provide the possibility to address new stakeholders on the topic Preventive Occupational Health and Safety. Therefore the stakeholder to the Preventive Occupational Health and Safety can be appealed, as for example health insurance schemes, chambers of commerce or ministries. This means, visibility of the research community can be raised at the network and society level. (Henning/Leisten/Bach/Hees 2009: 26).

To reach the aim “better visibility of the research community”, “improving integration of the partners in the research groups” and the “avoidance of the "fragmenting" of a research community”, different network management methods were applied in the founding priority Preventive Occupational Health and Safety. (Huemer 2003:119).

The choice of the methods of the network management bases on the needs of a research network in three specific network phases: phase of initiation, phase of stabilisation and finally the phase of increasing steadiness. Every phase puts different challenges to the network management.

During the phase of initiation the approved projects are selected and put together to focus groups. The focus groups do have a content connection given by their heading, e. g. occupational innovation management, participation and leadership or cooperation alliances. At the beginning agreements needs to be reached, to answer the questions: Which expectations and needs does the focus group face? How shall the focus group work together?

The phase of stabilisation is a phase in which mutual trust is further built up and is deepened. Now building up on the common understanding of the working packages the investigation object is specified. Synergies can be used, e.g. by common elevations. In this phase the focus groups are the most effective.

In the phase of increasing steadiness one requirement of the research promotion stands in the foreground. They want a lasting use of the research results by the enlargement of the scientific network Preventive Occupational Health and Safety. It would be best, if a research community on the given topic sets up itself. Moreover, it is desirable that the funding priority in the phase of increasing readiness provide visions for the future of the topic network Preventive Occupational Health and Safety.

To the support of the funding priority management methods are used which take into consideration the demands of the three phases, the scientific actors and the integrated enterprises and the promotion research. With the used methods it is a matter of forming the splits between the demands of the promotion research as well as the individual work and resources in the project (cp. Sauer 2005:101).

Keywords:

Innovation, research, network management.