Pinnacle Strategic Intelligence
Research · Innovation · Strategic intelligence

Know where you stand. Decide where to go next.

Pinnacle Strategic Intelligence turns research, funding, patent and market data into clear findings and a recommended path forward, for universities, companies, regions and the organizations that fund them.

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YOU ARE HERE EVIDENCE → POSITION → DIRECTION
20+
years in academic research
15+
years leading research intelligence at major public research universities
Since 2011
building partnerships between universities and industry
15+
conference presentations, plus a peer-reviewed paper defining the field
Services

Six ways I help organizations make better research and innovation decisions.

01

Research & Innovation Intelligence

Where are we strong, where are we exposed, and how do we compare?

I assess research strengths and gaps in a topic, department or institution, using publications, funding, awards, patents and proposals, then position them against peers and the wider landscape.

  • Capacity and competency analysis
  • Research landscape and peer benchmarking
  • Collaboration network analysis and maps of science
  • Outlook analysis drawing on market forecasts and expert projections
  • Funding and policy risk scans
02

Partnership & Market Intelligence

Who should we work with, and is the opportunity real?

I connect research capabilities with the companies, markets and funders most likely to value them, and size the opportunity before you invest time chasing it.

  • University–industry matching
  • Capability profiles to answer industry requests
  • Company, industry and market analysis
  • Technology scouting for corporate R&D
  • Competitive landscaping for proposals
03

Research Topic Intelligence

Where does this field stand, where is it heading, and where do we fit?

I analyze a specific research area, from energy storage to climate science to public health, across publications, funding, industry and markets, to show who leads, where the money is going, and where your organization fits.

  • Topic landscapes: who leads, who funds, what is growing
  • Capacity and market-fit assessment for a topic
  • Federal and philanthropic funding landscapes
  • Evidence base for new centers and initiatives
  • Industry segment and company mapping
04

Evaluation & Measurement

How do we measure progress fairly and consistently?

I design evaluation frameworks and baselines that leadership can reuse year after year, instead of starting from scratch each cycle.

  • Department, program and portfolio frameworks
  • Bibliometric and funding baselines
  • Collaboration and interdisciplinarity measurement
  • Choosing the measures that track strategic plan goals
05

Research Analytics Tools & Methods

Are we getting real answers from our data and tools?

I’ve spent two decades as a hands-on user of bibliometric databases and research analytics platforms, on the university side. I help institutions choose these tools and get real value from them, and I help the companies that build them, traditional and AI-driven, understand what research leaders actually need.

  • Choosing and getting value from research analytics platforms
  • Custom analyses, reports and staff training
  • Methodology and model review for analytics and AI tools
  • Indicator validation against expert judgment
  • Customer-side insight for product teams
06

Strategic Advisory & Risk Anticipation

What could go wrong, and what should we do before it does?

I help leaders and product teams think ahead. I look for problems that could come up, with people, operations or reputation, and suggest how to avoid them: what to launch, what to hold back, and in what order.

  • Strategic plan reviews and planning support
  • Anticipating stakeholder pushback
  • Program and product scoping
  • Early warning on funding, policy and market shifts
  • Ongoing advisory for leadership teams
Tools and data sources I work with
Bibliometric databases and research analytics
Web of Science · InCites · Scopus · SciVal · Academic Analytics · OpenAlex · Lens
Network analysis, science mapping and visualization
Gephi · VOSviewer · Bibliometrix · Tableau
Patents, funding and federal data
USPTO · USAspending · Grants.gov · Federal agency award databases
Who I work with

Different organizations, the same need: evidence they can act on.

Research universities and research offices
Where are our real strengths, and how well do they align with what industry needs? Which departments are ready for industry partners? How do we measure progress fairly? What happens if federal funding shifts?
University corporate and industry relations offices
A company just asked what we can offer in its field: who are our strongest faculty and capabilities? What can we offer industry that others cannot? Which companies should we approach, and with what?
Companies and corporate R&D
Which universities and researchers lead in the science we need? Who else is working on this? Where is the science heading?
Economic development and regional innovation groups
What research strengths does our region have, and which industries can they attract or grow?
Research analytics and research-intelligence companies
Do our tools and indicators reflect how universities actually use them? What do research leaders need that our product doesn’t yet do? How do we show customers the value of what they’ve bought?
Foundations, nonprofits and research labs
Where is the field heading? Who are the strongest teams to fund or partner with? Is our portfolio having the impact we intended?
How I work

Every engagement ends with a recommended path forward, not a data dump.

  1. 01
    Frame the decision
    We agree on the question, who will use the answer, and what “useful” looks like.
  2. 02
    Gather the evidence
    Publications, funding and awards, patents, proposals, surveys, company and market sources, chosen for the question rather than by habit.
  3. 03
    Analyze in context
    Benchmark against peers and markets, test the findings, and separate real signals from noise.
  4. 04
    Deliver a path forward
    Clear findings, options with their trade-offs, and a recommendation, plus datasets and frameworks you can reuse.
Portrait of Alba Clivati McIntyre
Alba Clivati McIntyre, PhD
Founder
About

I started as a scientist. I read the science behind the data, not just the counts.

I hold a PhD in Agronomy from The Ohio State University and an MS in Soil Physics from Universidade Federal do Paraná in Brazil.

For more than a decade I built and led the Strategic and Competitive Intelligence function at The Ohio State University, helping university leaders, institutes and industry partners make decisions with evidence. Several universities later modeled their own programs on it. Most recently I served as Policy & Planning Analyst for the College of Letters & Science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, providing research intelligence to college leadership, from department analyses and evaluation frameworks to rapid-response funding analysis.

On the university side, I’ve used and helped institutions adopt leading research analytics platforms, from Web of Science and InCites to Scopus, SciVal and Academic Analytics.

Currently, I advise InovaSignal, an AI research-intelligence platform, on the methodology behind its product (learn more about InovaSignal). I have presented at NORDP, UIDP, NACRO, CIWG and the NIH Bibliometrics Symposium. Today, through Pinnacle, I bring the same approach to a wider set of clients: universities, companies, regional innovation groups, funders, and the teams building AI tools for research and innovation intelligence.

Organizations I've worked with
The Ohio State UniversityUniversity of Wisconsin–MadisonWaymaker GroupInovaSignal
Contact

Have a decision coming up? Let's talk it through.

Book a free 20-minute intro call to talk about your question and whether I'm the right fit. No preparation needed.

Book a 20-minute call Email me
Emailalba@pinnacle-int.com
Phone(330) 464-9921
LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/albamcintyre
Based inWooster, Ohio · working remotely across the U.S.
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