Summary

Infratechnologies are enabling tools that support innovation from early R&D through scale-up and market development. They can take physical forms (e.g., metrology instruments) or virtual forms (e.g., testing protocols, measurement methods, acceptance criteria). While essential for national competitiveness, infratechnologies are often underfunded due to their public-good nature: they are non-rivalrous and partly non-excludable, giving firms limited incentive to invest individually.

This research project explores: who develops these tool technologies, how should they be developed, and when? It specifically focuses on the role of public innovation organisations, such as research and technology organisations (RTOs) and innovation centres related to manufacturing, in addressing evolving challenges across the lifecycle of infratechnologies. The findings will help inform innovation policy strategies that support these organisations based on their capability portfolios.