Publicado en International Studies of Management & Organization, vol 37. nº 1, 27-52. Spring 2007.The public research sector is changing all over Europe. New semipublic research centers have eemerged and now coexist with the tradicional public research centers in te same organizational field. It is argued that these changes are mostly pilicy-driven and that the main mechanism is the emergence of new legitimation models of wath research and research centers should be for, with a strong emphasis on excellence in science technology transfer and service to society.Peer reviewed