Commercialisation Competences for Sustainability-Oriented Innovation: A Time-Structured KPI Framework for Research Network Organisations

Commercialisation of research outcomes depends not only on technological quality but also on the competences through which research organisations identify market opportunities, coordinate stakeholders and translate knowledge into sustainable value. This study identifies and classifies commercialisation competences in research network organisations and develops a time-structured framework for operationalising their contribution to sustainability-oriented innovation (SOI). A structured review of Scopus and Web of Science publications, using predefined relevance criteria, yielded 129 competence formulations. Competence extraction was conducted by one author, while two authors independently synthesised the formulations into 25 conceptually distinct competences: five cognitive, eight functional, four personal and eight meta-competences. The 25 competences were then mapped against the triple bottom line, dynamic capabilities and ESG perspectives through a consensus-based expert assessment. Ten competences were classified as core sustainability-oriented, twelve as enabling and three as neutral. Because this classification is interpretative rather than empirically validated, it is intended as a transparent analytical proposition for subsequent testing. Each competence was linked to an Activity–Process Performance–Outcome (A–S–W) structure based on leading, diagnostic and lagging indicators, producing 75 illustrative indicators. The proposed numerical thresholds are heuristic calibration examples rather than universal benchmarks. The framework connects competence activation with process quality and commercialisation outcomes while incorporating economic, environmental and social dimensions and provides a basis for competence development, performance monitoring and future empirical validation.