“And the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk even more" (Erica Jong) 

Through watching techniques, an entity can identify possible needs, opportunities, threats and/or trends of the markets and technologies. This knowledge must be turned into concrete ideas which must be analysed in order to select the technological and economic feasible ones and, from these, select the best adapted to the strategies and objectives of the entity.

To achieve this objective, it is necessary to define a method for the selection of ideas which must consider a group of economic, productive, legal and technical factors. This is all about maximizing the success possibilities, that is, achieving the objective searched by the entity, for which it is important that this objective is clear and well defined beforehand.

RTDI offers two types of service concerning the selection of ideas and definition of final objectives for the success of the RTDI initiatives:

• Technological audits to companies and RTDI centres, considering the technological resources and the ones of available knowledge to be compared with the environment and identify concrete technological needs. The final result is the definition of a portfolio of RTDI projects.

This portfolio will define the ideas selected within the framework of a specific strategy or objective, as well as the possible mechanisms for its development (possible programmes of financial support and its combination for the management of the technical - financial  risk involved, possible technological partners, identification of related projects, etc.).

• Strategies design in support of RTDI. This is a service mainly addressed to Public Administrations and to mediators of the RTDI system (Technological Centres, consultants, technology transfer offices, etc.). The result will be a concrete programme of activities in support of RTDI  for the achievement of an strategic objective within the political and sectorial framework.