The Role of Innovation Intermediaries in Matchmaking for Manufacturing SME Collaboration

This thesis investigates how innovation intermediaries enhance matchmaking processes between small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) and digital technology startups in Sweden's manufacturing sector. As manufacturing SMEs face increasing pressure to adopt digital technologies while navigating resource constraints and knowledge gaps, at the same time, digital technology startups face challenges in accessing the traditional manufacturing sector. Innovation intermediaries play a crucial role in facilitating collaboration between them. However, the specific mechanisms through which innovation intermediaries effectively perform this function remain underexplored, particularly in the manufacturing context. Through a qualitative case study utilising semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, this research identified six dimensions of effective intermediation: Value-Centred Ecosystem Orchestration, Need-initiated Innovation Facilitation, Co-Created Knowledge Exchange, Social Capital Development, Multi-stakeholder Interest Alignment, and Knowledge Ecosystem Development. The findings reveal that testbeds serve as central collaboration mechanisms rather than mere technical facilities, simultaneously enabling validation, trust-building, knowledge translation, and risk reduction. This study contributes to innovation intermediation theory by reconceptualising intermediation as multidimensional orchestration, documenting specific trust-building mechanisms with social capital, and highlighting the integration of tacit knowledge in problem definition. For practitioners, this study provides a structured framework for designing effective intermediation processes that address the unique challenges of manufacturing digitalisation. This understanding advances both theoretical knowledge and practical approaches to accelerate digital transformation in manufacturing through enhanced collaboration between SMEs and startups.