Actors include a wide range of individuals and organisation type, including firms (large and small, multinational and domestic), universities, public research institutes, government ministries and agencies, various intermediary bodies, such as industry associations, private consultants, etc. The ways in which actors perform domain area activities are determined by their motivations and interests and by the resources they have available, including money, skills, and various dynamic capabilities.  These attributes not only determine the roles that actors assume, but also the sorts of interactive relationships they enter into with other actors, for example, through networks, markets and hierarchies.

The key actors relevant to public sector research and its contributions to innovation performance are listed to the right. Each key actor includes a brief description of its main activities and interests, the extent to which these coincide with public sector research contributing to innovation performance, the resources and capabilities needed by key actors to productively interact with public sector research, and the shaping factors and policies that typically modulate key actors’ behaviour. In several instances, e.g. technology transfer offices, Briefs are available containing further analysis.