ATP has funded nearly 200 research joint ventures involving over 800 companies, universities, and other organizations. The Survey of ATP Joint Ventures was carried out in 2003 to assess characteristics and outcomes of ATP-funded research joint ventures. Findings include qualitativemeasures of success including overall satisfaction, intangible benefits, trust, degree of knowledge sharing, and financial measures such as revenues, cost savings, additional R&D investment, and research measures such as patenting activity.

Key Finding:
Over 90 percent of survey respondents indicated that there was little or no chance of the ATP joint venture forming without ATP funding. The absence of the ATP catalyst would have resulted in the loss to the nation of the following benefits realized, to date, from technology developed from the ATP research

• $1.86 Billion in product revenues
• $115 Million in cost savings
• $1.3 Billion in additional R&D
• 133 Patent applications

Collaborative R&D as a result of ATP has also generated the following benefits…

The mission and selection criteria of ATP helps “stretch” companies to take on greater challenges than they otherwise would and assists in leveraging university expertise.

• Approximately four-fifths of respondents indicated that the ATP research represented a new direction for the company and/or industry.
• Approximately two-thirds indicated that the ATP research was riskier and had a longer time horizon than their typical research project.
• Approximately two-thirds indicated that the ATP project involved interaction with universities.

ATP encourages collaborative R&D, for many companies for the first time. The ATP structure helps establish and enforce mechanisms designed to build trust, coordination, and cooperation.

• More than one-third of respondents indicated that the ATP project represented their first collaborative R&D experience.
• More than three-fourths found that the ATP project was successful in facilitating knowledge exchange, achieving good coordination, and implementing sound governance procedures.
• Respondents indicating higher levels of trust also attributed a greater importance to ATP in fostering trust and cooperation.

Statistical analysis supported a number of general conclusions…

The greater the extent ATP “stretches” companies, the more likely they are to experience positive outcomes for qualitative, financial, and research measures of success.

• Projects with greater technical risk are more likely to have positive outcomes for qualitative, financial, and research measures.
• Projects that are more ambitious or represent a new research direction are more likely to have positive outcomes for qualitative, financial, and research measures.
• Projects with greater amounts of university interaction are more likely to have positive outcomes for qualitative, financial, and research measures.

ATP’s role in helping to build trust, coordination, and cooperation also increases the likelihood of project success.

• Projects with greater knowledge sharing are more likely to have positive outcomes for qualitative measures.
• Projects with greater levels of trust are more likely to have positive outcomes for research measures.
• Projects with higher confidence and satisfaction with the joint venture governance structure are more likely to have positive outcomes for qualitative, financial, and research measures.