A different example is furnished by the Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Institute of Technology (Greece), which initiated a research collaboration with the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN); the aim is to create a business incubator to diffuse CERN’s existing technologies to the region’s private sector. The main purpose of innovation vouchers is to build linkages between SMEs and public research institutions, which will: i) stimulate knowledge transfer directly between public research and business; and ii) act as a catalyst for the formation of longer-term, more in-depth relationships (OECD, 2010d). Voucher programmes have been implemented in many countries, including Germany, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. While the outcomes of collaborations also vary, there are many examples of successful collaborations that have led to the introduction of new or improved products, services or processes by SMEs.