STRATEGIC INNOVATION

[BIZ/EDU: Lanaken, June 10]
A major project developed by UNU-MERIT, allied with the University of Hasselt in Limburg and the regional development companies, was concerned to get companies to analyze their competitive position, to determine the priorities for innovation, and to take action to improve their innovative capacities. Conclusions have been that strategic innovation meets a clear need for SMEs and helps them to get out of a rut. With new opportunities and after getting rid of organizational obstacles, the majority of the participants have found a level of balance.

The project shows that innovation policy can gain in effectiveness by offering policy instruments that can be integrated into a company’s activities. The various policy instruments can be stronger when they lead to innovation. This is not just by investing in research and development, but also in management support, in training staff, cooperation with clients, cooperation with knowledge centers and solving problems in respect of intellectual property rights.

If innovation policy is to have a major influence on the SMEs, strong measures also have to be taken. If this concept is to lead to innovation, action has to be taken in breadth, length and depth. Breadth means initiatives should be large scale. Development programs demand a critical mass so that the adoption of innovation becomes self-supporting and is self-driven. Depth means integration in combination with instruments. The program should be part of an all-embracing integrated vision, or a range of services. Length relates to long-term influence and long-term programs.

It is vital that stakeholders and participants maintain contact with one another. And finally, the long-term perspective is also necessary because some businesses enter the program late.

Policy makers and program managers need intelligence on the ground. They need to know what is happening on the shop floor. Innovative policies should be interactive and demand driven; and this should be seen as an efficient alternative to a linear approach [concrete examples are also useful ED].
http://www.strategischinnoveren.eu/en/symposium.htm