The research team of the Centre de Sociologie de l'Innovation (CSI) from Mines ParisTech (France) is the scientific coordinator of the PICO project. It takes part in all the work packages and research questions. More precisely, ARMINES-CSI leads research question 3 (the impact of research-based spin-offs on their customers and partners) and work packages 3 and 7 (case studies and dissemination).
ARMINES from Mines ParisTech is the administrative and financial coordinator of the PICO project.

Presentation of the team
The team from CSI-ARMINES is under direction of Prof. Philippe Mustar. He teaches socio-economics of innovation and science policy. He has pioneered the research on academic entrepreneurship in France and has built a dataset on French research-based spin-offs (RBSOs) in close connection with the major French Universities and Public Research Organizations. He is the author or co-author of books and articles on innovation policies, high tech SMEs and start-ups, and the strategic management of research and technology. Mustar is member of the Editorial board of Industry & Higher Education, Technovation, Entrepreneurship.

> Polimi-DIG

The research team of the Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering (DIG) from Politecnico di Milano (Italy) takes part in all the work packages and research questions. More precisely, POLIMI leads research question 4 (the impact of research-based spin-offs on their partners in mergers and acquisitions) and work packages 4 and 5 (data collection and quantitative analysis).

Presentation of the team
The team from POLIMI has high-level competences in the field of industrial organisation and economics of innovation, and it has generated significant knowledge in the field of technology-based entrepreneurship through the RITA (Research on Entrepreneurship in Advanced Technology) Observatory.
The project leader of the RITA Observatory is Massimo G. Colombo. His areas of research include the organization and strategies of new technology-based firms (NTBFs) in general and research-based spin-offs (RBSOs) in particular, and the relationships between strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions and the innovative activity of high-tech companies. He is author or co-author of 5 books and more than 50 international publications.

> DINAMIA

The research team of the DINAMIA research centre (Portugal) takes part in all the work packages and research questions. More precisely, DINAMIA leads research question 1 (the determinants of the innovative performance of research-based spin-offs) and work package 6 (policy implications).

Presentation of the team
The team from DINAMIA, led by Margarida Fontes, has gained considerable knowledge on the processes of knowledge production and dissemination in advanced fields and on the role of new entrepreneurial firms as technology intermediaries between public research and the productive sector. It has pioneered the research on research-based spin-offs (RBSOs) in Portugal and has built a considerable dataset on Portuguese RBSOs, which is periodically updated. Margarida Fontes has participated in a number of national and international research projects in these fields and have authored several papers in international journals.

> Ghent U

The research team of the University of Ghent (Belgium) takes part in all the work packages and research questions. More precisely, Ghent-U leads research question 2 (the determinants of the growth of research-based spin-offs) and work package 2 (development of a methodology of analysis).

Presentation of the team
The research team from the University of Ghent is under direction of Prof. Bart Clarysse. He has published several books on academic spin-offs during the past few years and published in internationally recognized journals such as Journal of Business Venturing, Research Policy, International Journal of Technology Management, ET&P about high tech start-ups and spin-offs in particular. He is the scientific director of the Gate2Growth Ph.D. Programme on innovation and entrepreneurship and scientific director of the policy unit on Entrpeneurship, Innovation and Finance.

The research team of the University of Nottingham (UK) takes part in all the work packages and research questions. More precisely, UNOTT actively participates in research question 2 (the determinants of the growth of research-based spin-offs) and leads work package 1 (development of a conceptual model).

Presentation of the team
The research team from the University of Nottingham is under direction of Prof. Mike Wright. They have published in a variety of internationally recognized journals such as Journal of Business Venturing, Research Policy, Journal of Technology Transfer, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Small Business Economics, International Journal of Industrial Organization about spin-offs, technology transfer, science parks and incubators and entrepreneurship. They have edited special issues of Research Policy, Small Business Economics and Journal of Technology Transfer on the topic of technology transfer.