Year 2 - issue 5 - June 2011
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IN THIS ISSUE: INNO-Partnering Forum: Meeting challenges and capturing opportunities to secure SME innovation support Page 2 | STORY IN FOCUS Peer Review: a valuable exercise for continuous improvement of innovation policy measures Page 3 | STORY IN FOCUS INNO-Partnering Forum twinning exercises look into pre-commercial procurement schemes Page 4 | STORY IN FOCUS INNO-Partnering Council meeting in Cambridge Page 5 | ANNUAL EVENT The PRO INNO Europe® 4th partnering event looks into new forms of supporting innovation Page 6-7 | NETWORK NEWS Page 8 | NEWS AND EVENTS
INNO-Partnering Forum
MEETING CHALLENGES AND CAPTURING OPPORTUNITIES TO SECURE SME INNOVATION SUPPORT According to Mario Calderini from the Italian Regional Development Agency, Finpiemonte S.p.A., and INNO-Partnering Council member, the added value of the INNO-Partnering Forum (IPF) lies in “the opportunity to get closer to EU policies while ensuring interactions with key stakeholders in innovation policy at Member State level.” To achieve the IPF objectives, dedicated methods have been developed and applied for a number of project activities. “IPF has put in place twinning practices on pre-commercial procurement involving several European innovation agencies. Also for the peer review exercises, own methods have been devised; and a task force on Applying Customer Segmentation to Deliver More Efficient and Effective Innovation Support was created as a result of the May 2011 Council meeting in Cambridge”, says Jenni Nordborg from VINNOVA. She adds that “we have established a policy framework as a common learning platform looking at how services are delivered and received both from the SME and the innovation agency perspectives. The IPF peer review and twinning methods are concepts that are already being used for efficient engagement of all participants to share knowledge and establish a basis for joint development”. In addition, IPF is performing a pilot assessment to lay the foundation for a European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM)-based method to assess and improve agency operations. “What has been really positive so far is that experienced experts who have never previously worked with the EFQM Excellence Model have immediately found that it is a valuable tool and have started using it with enthusiasm. This was the case with our pilot assessment at TEKES, and I'm confident that the model will continue to impress as we get through the initial introduction stage,” says Heikki Uusi-Honko, Process Development Director at TEKES. In the coming months, the key issue is the further development and testing of guidelines and tools that will help newcomers to start using the EFQM Excellence Model.
ENSURING THE LONGEVITY OF A SUSTAINABLE LEARNING FORUM During the second half of its lifetime, IPF will set out to communicate its results and to initiate a process that exceeds the project’s scope. Here, the challenge lies in securing continuity for the project legacy, its methods and the partnerships created. “This is a challenge, and the way forward is to work through established networks and the collaboration we are building up through the project and the Council. In this respect, the commitment of the different involved parties at mid-term is very encouraging” says Jenni Nordborg.
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STORY IN FOCUS
Peer Review: a valuable
exercise for continuous improvement of innovation policy measures Peer review is an excellent opportunity for policy makers to exchange information and offer useful suggestions for improvement of policy measures. The review teams, composed of experts from several agencies, bring in thorough knowledge of the type of service discussed. LEARNING THROUGH PEER REVIEW Mutual learning and practical cooperation can be enhanced through peer review. The core objective is to analyse successful innovation programmes, identify good practices and promote their transfer to other programmes. Seven peer reviews have been conducted by the INNO-Partnering Forum in spring 2011. After the publication of an open invitation and the selection of the most promising proposals from public innovation agencies, they are submitted to a peer review process that consists of a two-day programme of presentations, interviews and discussions with a team of four to seven experts. Review reports, published on the IPF section of the PRO INNO Europe® website, include a description of the innovation scheme in question, an analysis of good practices, points for improvement and suggestions for transfer options. For innovation policy makers, the review reports represent a useful source of information. SHARING GOOD PRACTICES Peer reviews to date have covered areas such as pre-commercial procurement programmes and high-growth SME programmes. Several elements of the reviewed programmes have already been transferred to other countries. Some of the identified good practices are related to collaboration methods, advisory support to SMEs, selection of promising projects and swift payments. The agency being reviewed profits from advice conveyed by the visiting experts and reviewing agencies gain from participatory observation.
Jenni Nordborg, project coordinator at VINNOVA, praises the IPF peer reviews. “They have been highly appreciated by both the receiving agency and the peer review team. We can already see the result on SBRI1 in the UK and SBIR2 in the Netherlands: improvements have been made in the reviewed agencies. Moreover, lessons from the peer reviews have been compiled in a ‘pre-commercial procurement scheme design options’-paper and these types of schemes are now being piloted in Sweden, Finland and Austria”. FUTURE ROUNDS: FOCUSING ON SERVICE DELIVERY A further round of peer reviews is being planned. It will focus on good practices in the area of the delivery of innovation support to SMEs. A special effort is being made to involve agencies from outside the IPF consortium, both as review cases and as peer review team members. Eleven non-EU innovation support programmes of interest have been identified for IPF examination, and visits to the agencies running these programmes in South Korea and Singapore are planned for this autumn. Review reports are available at: http://www.proinno-europe.eu/inno-partnering-forum/reposito ry/2-peer-review-reports
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SBRI, Small Business Research Initiative programme, drives innovation through government procurement. 2 SBIR, Small Business Innovation Research Programme, enables SMEs to develop innovations for the government, contributing to solutions to social issues.
STORY IN FOCUS
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INNO-Partnering Forum
twinning exercises
look into pre-commercial procurement schemes Twinning exercises are a means for innovation agencies to design new, or improve standing support measures based on exposure to third party experience and through the exchange of ideas for mutual benefit of sparring partners in a twinning exercise. The INNO-Partnering Forum (IPF) has been experimenting with this form of policy design and drafting of support measures since its inception. At the end of 2010 it set up a twinning activity between two pre-commercial procurement (PCP) programmes from the UK and the Netherlands, i.e. the Small Business Innovation and Research programme (SBRI) of Agency.NL and a similar programme run by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) from the UK. Both programmes are considered as European pioneers in the field of pre-commercial procurement. Four other innovation agencies joined the twinning exercise to learn from the Dutch and British programmes, and to consider the uptake of (elements of) these programmes in their respective countries. These “observing� partners were VINNOVA from Sweden, FFG from Austria, TEKES from Finland, and Enterprise Ireland. Together, the participating agencies went through a joint design exercise based on their review of the schemes and building upon the hands-on expertise of Agency.NL and TSB.
IPF Twinning Process
Different design and delivery options for PCP initiatives were proposed and evaluated, to come to solutions that would fit the institutional and business context of the different agencies. In this way, feasible plans and designs for PCP schemes were developed, which could potentially be implemented by the participating agencies. Based on this fruitful acquis, the IPF has recently invited a broader community of innovation support agencies from across Europe to make use of the results and insights from the pilot twinning exercise on PCP. Interest has been shown by France, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Turkey, demonstrating the spill-over effects created by IPF, which is accelerating the take-up of PCP schemes across Europe. Other outcomes from the PCP twinning exercise include a reference model for PCP initiatives, identification of key success factors, pitfalls to avoid and choices to consider. Also, it has provided the participating agencies with new contacts, embedded information and a better view of international activities. Finally, the twinning pilot has also helped establish a new PCP initiative in Sweden, and in May 2011 VINNOVA launched a call to promote the use of PCP in Sweden. For more information, please look at: http://www.proinno-europe.eu/inno-partnering-forum/newsroo m/open-call-twinning-pre-commercial-procurement-innovation
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STORY IN FOCUS
INNO-Partnering Council
meeting
in Cambridge THE SEARCH FOR A NEW CLUSTER POLICY APPROACH TO RENEW EUROPE’S INDUSTRY IS GAINING MOMENTUM. THE JULY INFORMAL COMPETIVENESS The 4th INNO-Partnering Council meeting, held on 18-19 May in Cambridge, was COUNCIL DISCUSSED FUTURE CLUSTER POLICIES AND INNO-PARTNERING THIS DISCUSSION WILL BE hosted by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB). The meeting focused on current COUNCIL WELCOMES NEW CONTINUED THE FORTHCOMING 3-DAYlevels BELGIAN PRESIDENCY EVENT IN trends, strategies andAT priorities at the European, national and regional and MEMBERS on new ways ofEND delivering innovation support to SMEs. Prior to the meeting, BRUSSELS SEPTEMBER. participants submitted information on their organisations’ current priorities and actions. This showed that 53% changed or renewed their portfolio of schemes during and after the financial crisis, and 24% abolished schemes. Focus is on schemes supporting better access to R&D funding and collaboration, venture capital schemes, and commercialisation and growth support programmes. Against this background, discussions on the perspectives of innovation agency operations were held in parallel workshops. Kate Yarrington, International Projects Manager at TSB, presented the results of a survey on international best practices for service delivery. The survey identified two main types of service delivery interfaces: human and intelligent computer/web interface. IPF’s aim is to create a toolbox that includes criteria enabling agencies to choose the most appropriate best practice tool. Heikki Uusi-Honko, Process Development Director at TEKES, led a workshop on possible ways to promote the use of quality management methods such as EFQM Excellence Model within innovation agencies. The EFQM Excellence Model is promising in terms of measuring effectiveness and efficiency. IPF will consider developing an EFQM light model for implementation in smaller innovation agencies. David Connell and Michael Kitson from the UK Innovation Research Centre held presentations on the topic of Mobilising Risk Capital for Innovation in SMEs. Connell questioned the US-influenced venture capital funding model focused on IP and product development in early stage ventures, stating that customer funding to solve lead customer needs is a more important driver for successful European venture development. He presented ideas on how governments could support and stimulate development of early stage venture capital markets – e.g. loans to leverage private investments and structures that provide exits for investors without forcing fund managers to sell their holdings in portfolio companies. Kitson questioned some conventional wisdoms of innovation, arguing that innovation does not drive growth – rather, the diffusion of innovation creates economic growth. Furthermore, stress on collaborators’ “geographic concentration” is misleading, as is the importance of R&D. In conclusion, he questioned the role and importance of universities in terms of innovation. The meeting was concluded by a session on new ways to deliver innovation support to SMEs, led by Kjell-Håkan Närfelt, CSO, VINNOVA, resulting in the formation of a new task force on Customer Segmentation which will consolidate service delivery data to improve the understanding of how different delivery mechanisms best suit SMEs.
Following a call for new Council members that closed in February, the INNO-Partnering Council has welcomed an additional 13 members from 10 countries. This brings its total membership to 25, representing 20 European countries. This growth demonstrates the degree of added value that membership of the INNO-Partnering Council provides to its members who are working to improve collaboration opportunities and innovation support for SMEs in a regional, national and transnational context. The Council serves as a sounding board for the INNO-Partnering Forum, offering advice and guidance on the main findings of IPF activities. The Council also fosters knowledge exchange and cooperation between public actors responsible for innovation support, with the aim of promoting the accelerated take-up of cutting-edge support systems for innovative SMEs. As such, the Council promotes and facilitates strategic discussion among public actors on the challenges associated with the provision of innovation support to European SMEs. Mario Calderini from Finpiemonte S.p.A. and Council member for the past 18 months, welcomes the professional involvement and exchange of knowledge between Council members. He adds that the establishment of a permanent administrative office for the Council would enable the sustainability of the Council’s work and results. The next Council meeting will be held in Dublin, 16-17 November 2011.
ANNUAL EVENT
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The PRO INNO Europe® 4th partnering event looks into new forms of supporting innovation IN A LIVELY AMBIANCE, AROUND 100 MEMBERS OF THE PRO INNO EUROPE® COMMUNITY GATHERED IN MUNICH (GERMANY) BETWEEN 5-7 APRIL FOR THE ANNUAL PARTNERING EVENT, WHICH WAS HOSTED BY THE EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE AND WITH JEREMY PHILPOTT OF THE EPO ACADEMY AS MODERATOR. DURING 3 DAYS THE ATTENDEES PARTICIPATED IN, AND ENJOYED INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS AND PLENARY PRESENTATIONS AND DEBATES ON KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER In line with the Innovation Union Communication of the European Commission which states that “Supporting ‘broad based innovation’ requires a better understanding of knowledge transfer” and of tapping into “… diverse sources of innovation that go far beyond Research and Development”, the event kicked off with an interactive workshop on “innovative approaches to innovation support”. The concept provider behind this workshop was the SportKreativWerkstatt, which let participants experiment with integrative formats to innovation policy design focused on sustainable mobility. In the “hands-on innovation space” of the Traffic Center of the Deutsches Museum, participants were able to jointly: • conceive visions of the future of sustainable mobility and discuss and comment on existing ones; • contribute own ideas and suggestions; • communicate on needs and barriers; • try out and rate innovations to improve them; • identify current trends; • learn how innovations come into being and how they could contribute to them.
To illustrate the power and relevance of creativity and art, Jeremy Davenport of the Creative Industries KTN Network from the UK stated that “Apple is successful because they use liberal arts throughout their products, not just for its design.” The fact that creative professionals are not only useful contributors to out-of-the-box and run-free thinking was exemplified by Joao Mena de Matos of the European Design Centre from the Netherlands. He presented a case where the EDC was asked to set up a simulation tool for high precision and zero defect purposes in medical care to prevent avoidable errors in medical treatments. The tool is being used with high satisfaction in the Netherlands and there is a growing interest for it from abroad.
The partnering event itself was structured in a Technology Transfer session, a Knowledge Transfer session, a Web-based Innovation Support session and a Co-creation session.
On a different note, Joachim Hafkesbrink, president of Technology Innovation International and director of Innowise, provided a look into the future and the era of Innovation 3.0 or “Embedded innovation”. In that vision, innovation will become more and more an issue of involving user communities (instead of single or small lead user groups) and of co-creation and co-ideation of new products and services with social media crowds.
In many contributions, the importance of design and creativity was emphasized as important sources of innovation. Similarly, the important role played by creative industries to invigorate traditional sectors and to drive change in them through knowledge transfer, web-based innovations and co-creation was highlighted.
Further reading and video material as well as the presentations from the Munich event are available at: http://www.proinno-europe.eu/promotion-pro-inno-europe-res ults/page/pro-inno-europe-4th-partnering-event-takes-discussio ns-knowle
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NETWORK NEWS
The 5th meeting of European Service Innovation Think Tank THE FIFTH MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN SERVICE INNOVATION THINK TANK, A WIDER FORUM ESTABLISHED BY EPISIS CONSISTING OF EPISIS PARTNERS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF TEN OTHER MINISTRIES AND INNOVATION AGENCIES SUPPORTING SERVICE INNOVATION, TOOK PLACE IN LONDON ON 16-17 MAY 2011. A KEY AGENDA POINT WAS THE DISCUSSION ON A STRATEGY FOR EUROPEAN SERVICE INNOVATION. The strategy represents one of the key outcomes of the project and it will also form the basis for the final policy recommendations of EPISIS. The strategy identifies three main drivers for service innovation requiring constant long-term effort and development. The drivers include: dynamic markets; critical investments in basic foundations such as in multi-disciplinary competences, capabilities and knowledge co-creation; and innovative service businesses with new types of innovation processes. The strategy also underlines that a focus on intangibles as sources of growth and innovation is what differentiates service innovation from traditional innovation policy strategies. A keynote address was given by Professor Andy Neely from the Cambridge Service Alliance on the “servitization of manufacturing”, which refers to the shift of creating value through products, outputs and elements to value creation via integrated solutions, outcomes and eco-systems. In this transition, servitization-enabling technologies play an important role. At present, the USA, Finland and Singapore are the most ‘servitized’ countries in the world. However China, Japan and France, for instance, are closing the gap rapidly.
UK Service innovation context
Other issues on the agenda included reporting on the final results from two EPISIS Task Forces, as well as the launch of three new Task Forces, one of which will benchmark national service innovation policies and measures. In support of this benchmarking Task Force, it is foreseen that national service innovation policies and measures will be presented in each Think Tank meeting. As a start, presentations on national service innovation policies and measures from Sweden and the UK were given. In Sweden, a national strategy for service innovation has recently been published in response to a need for better understanding service innovation and for defining public policies for service innovation. Interaction and cooperation have been the key force behind the strategy work in Sweden, which echoes the very nature of service innovation, user involvement and co-creation. Currently, Sweden is working on an innovation strategy targeted at 2020. In the UK, emphasis has been placed on the importance of infrastructure and demand-side factors to stimulate service innovation. The Business Services Growth Review 2011 also revealed that there are significant regulatory and trade barriers that obstruct a further growth of service innovation. Other barriers detected relate to the movement of skilled individuals and the amount of skilled labour available.
NETWORK NEWS
CLUSTER-EXCELLENCE.EU ON CRUISING SPEED With regard to its Cluster Quality Label programme, Cluster-Excellence.eu launched a series of pilot cases in view of creating an independent and voluntary evaluation of cluster quality management practices. For this a set of 31 Cluster Quality Indicators has been elaborated, which should lead the way to the adoption of high quality standards in cluster management. A test phase among some five clusters will serve as a pre-validity test on the proposed indicators. For more info see: www.cluster-excellence.eu
THE EUROPEAN CLUSTER COLLABORATION PLATFORM (ECCP): SHOWING CONTINUOUS GROWTH The ECCP, a “LinkedIn” for cluster organisations, supports cluster managers to cooperate and collaborate with each other. More than 700 cluster managers have meanwhile registered. Members have access to over 270 cluster organisation profiles. Also interested? Sign up via: www.clustercollaboration.eu
CLUSTER TRAINING: DEVELOPING CASE-BASED MATERIAL FOR 10 KNOWLEDGE AREAS The Cluster-Excellence.eu consortium is developing learning material to train cluster managers and help them to achieve excellence in cluster management. Besides case studies, there will be manuals, audio-visual material and teaching notes. The training material will be released in autumn 2011. For more information, please look at: www.cluster-excellence.eu
EUROPEAN CLUSTER MANAGERS’ CLUB (ECMC) OPENS ITS DOORS FOR OFFICIAL MEMBERSHIP The ECMC is a place to share and analyse cluster management challenges with peers in a “collegial” spirit. For more information, please look at: www.cluster-excellence.eu
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INNOVATION FESTIVAL VILNIUS: CELEBRATING CREATIVITY AND PARTNERSHIP “In order to succeed you need to have partners”, was one of the key messages of the Innovation Festival in Vilnius. Partnership fosters exchange of ideas and knowledge as well as development and introduction of novelties: “Partnership is a vital ingredient to bring good ideas to life”. In this same cooperative spirit, IF…Vilnius was organised together with the Lithuanian Annual Design Week. “Nowadays innovation is more than technology. Actually, creativity is the driving force of innovation and IF … Vilnius revealed the Lithuanian potential to develop innovative design objects, products and services. In order to exploit that potential we need cooperation between business, science and design. This year’s Innovation Festival has initiated some very promising partnerships in that regard,” says Kastytis Gečas, Director of the Lithuanian Innovation Centre. As in other Innovation Festivals, IF…Vilnius also brought together a highly diversified audience: students, designers, scientists, businesses, government institutions and the general public, and thus brought innovation and design closer to the public and showed the importance of partnership and creativity in innovation processes. The Festival highlighted international and local cooperation, from eco-friendly architecture to innovative packaging. The conference on “Creativity and partnership – key factors in innovation” brought together academic, governmental and business representatives who discussed the potential of creative and cultural industries and guidelines for the development of these industries. A range of exhibitions highlighted local and international design objects and showcased their creators. IF … Vilnius also put the spotlight on the exhibition “Lithuanian Design. Achievements”, which aims to initiate a national design award competition tradition to encourage Lithuanian industry to pay more attention to local design and innovation. Also present were high-potential and well-known design(er)s from Belarus and Scandinavia. More information at: http://www.proinno-europe.eu/innovation-festival and: www.innovationfestival.lt
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NEWS & EVENTS
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ew pe® The NINNO Euro PRO
PRO INNO Europe® is an initiative of the European Commission’s Directorate General Enterprise and Industry. It aims to become the focal point for innovation policy analysis and policy cooperation in Europe, with the view to learning from the best and contributing to the development of new and better innovation policies in Europe. The newsletter of the PRO INNO Europe® initiative © European Commission. Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged. EDITORIAL CONTACT AND TO SUBSCRIBE: newsletter@proinno-europe.eu PUBLISHED BY: INNOVATION PIE and all other elements of the Promotion of PRO INNO Europe® Results project are performed by a consortium of companies headed by INNOVA Europe sàrl (Luxembourg). LEGAL NOTICE: This publication has been produced as part of the PRO INNO Europe® initiative. The views expressed in this report, as well as the information included in it, do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of the European Commission and in no way commit the institution. This newsletter is financed under the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) which aims to encourage the competitiveness of European enterprises. Printed on responsible forest management paper with vegetable-based ink.
At the start of 2011, the ECOPOL project joined the INNO-Net family with the aim of fostering eco-innovation across Europe. ECOPOL is a partnership of public eco-innovation programme owners from 6 European countries. The project sets out to foster cooperation, development and implementation of better policies and instruments in the areas of green public procurement, waste management and the internationalisation of eco-innovative SMEs. The 1st ECOPOL workshop on green public procurement took place on 4 May in Gothenburg, Sweden. The workshop gathered Swedish experts, public and private sector organisations around good practices in green public procurement, and recommended to: • develop green procurement criteria for a wider range of products and services, • aim towards a lean harmonisation of green procurement criteria across Europe to safeguard user-friendliness of application processes for tendering companies. On 21 June in Berlin, Germany, the ECOPOL Reflection Group will meet for the 1st time. Its main objective is to further improve the understanding of the dynamics of eco-innovation and particularly the roles of public policies. The ECOPOL Reflection Group cooperates closely with the ETAP High-Level Group to raise awareness, exchange views and information, and to disseminate project results and experiences to the European eco-innovation community. For more information, please visit: www.ecopol-project.eu
PROGRESS IN TACTICS AND THE EUROPEAN CLUSTER ALLIANCE The TACTICS INNO-Net will soon issue concrete cluster policy recommendations and actions in the form of a “Handbook on cluster internationalisation”. This Handbook has been tested with cluster policy makers via workshops, conferences and a survey among the members of the European Cluster Alliance (ECA). The Handbook will also play an important role in supporting the next round of EU international cluster initiatives (expected to be launched in autumn 2011). Through the ongoing “Innovation Express” call that is managed through TACTICS, and which aims at setting up inter-cluster cooperation, eight partners from across Europe have, to date, signed up. For more information, see: http://www.proinno-europe.eu/tactics/page/overview-call-0 In parallel, the TACTICS consortium has been active lobbying and disseminating their views on cluster policy by issuing formal comments to the public consultation on the Common Strategic Framework. Furthermore, the Nordic-German-Polish Cluster Excellence conference in Copenhagen on 26 May was used to exchange cluster policy viewpoints between TACTICS partners, ECA representatives and the European Commission. At this conference, over 400 cluster actors came together demonstrating the importance that national and regional development actors continue to attach to cluster policies. Finally, TACTICS will co-organise a major cluster conference in the context of the Polish EU Presidency on 20-21 October 2011 in Warsaw.