“…In many cases, the resultant partnerships are based on the acquisition of a particular process or product as developed by the small business. Such partnerships include licensing agreements, the contractingout of R&D to smaller firms; corporate venturing and personnel secondment [Rothwell, 19891; equity investments, client-sponsored research contracts, collaborative R&D, and marketingldistribution agreements [Forrest, 19901. Nevertheless, there is increasing evidence that large firms are also accessing the specific technical expertise that may be found in technologically-advanced small firms [Bailly et al, 1987;Dickson et al, 1990;Jones-Evans and Steward, 19911. In fact, the increasing complexity of the business environment, resulting from fragmented competitive markets, internalisation, as well as technological change, has created numerous market niches for professionals to exploit and has resulted in the rapid growth in demand for research and consultancy services [Horwitch and Thietart, 19871. As Keeble et al [1991a] have shown in their study of management consultancies in the United Kingdom, the growth of small firms in professional business services stands out as the single most important component of the rapid growth of small service-sector businesses in the UK during the 1980s.…”