Abstract
Private service firms have largely diffused in the last years as external sources of technology that are accessed by innovative companies for supporting their innovation process. This paper in particular focuses on Technical and Scientific Service (TSS) firms that basically sell technical and scientific knowledge. Examples of TSS are contract Research and Development, laboratory testing, technology consulting and product development. The purpose is to offer a preliminary insight into the business models adopted by TSS firms and analyze the resulting strategic, managerial and organizational choices. This investigation is based upon the results of an empirical study on Italian nanotech companies.