Methodology towards a wider model of innovation agencies
Published on 01 August 2018
Germany
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About this good practice
Three public innovation agencies from Italy, Germany and Hungary designed a new and comprehensive approach for a new business & organizational model for innovation agencies (IA). The need to create such new methodology arose from the fact that IAs can't always equip SMEs with demanded support in terms of innov. & internationalization. The methodology bring new rolefor the IA within this quintuple helix Approach.The agency itself is the driving force as it becomes the interface with regulatory bodies and PAs & the engine of the relationship with local SMEs & research world. IAs will establish a local contact point within the IA to develop & maintain the relationship with and between agents of innovation and internationalization sphere (esp. SMEs). To support the internationalization activities IAs have to be focalized in specific thematic areas depending on regional competences & on competitive advantages. Selecting domains respond to the needs of regional SMEs and it facilitates the cooperation with other IAs with the same model. In the Ideal case the collaborations lead to a meta cluster structure & create a leverage effect: exploiting synergies & the value of interventions.
Support services of IA for SMEs (i.a.):techn., comm. & business Coaching,
access to business angels & venture capitalists, boot camps.
Benefit for SMEs:
- SMEs in strong clusters are more innovative & competitive
- RDIs in clusters are more successful in internat. collab. projects
Support services of IA for SMEs (i.a.):techn., comm. & business Coaching,
access to business angels & venture capitalists, boot camps.
Benefit for SMEs:
- SMEs in strong clusters are more innovative & competitive
- RDIs in clusters are more successful in internat. collab. projects
Resources needed
Received 50.000 Euro funding under the EU Horizon2020 . Due to the philosophy of the present Action (Lump sum), that is learning among and through peers, the budget was nearly equally distributed among the 3 partners from Steinbeis (Germany), RCISD (Hungary) and Innova BIC (Italy).
Evidence of success
From 2012 to 2019, the Danube Transfer Center (DTC) network has established partnerships with partners from 10 coutries, 12 location located among the Danube Region as a one-stop-shop for SMEs under the mission to link industry & research & to ensure the involvement of internat. experts at any stage. Based on the experience that SEZ gained during the past 6 years led to the design of a general methodology transferable to other regions in Europe aiming to set up a similar network.
Potential for learning or transfer
The proposed method can only work efficently if agencies that are located in different regions and / or countries follow this approach. The herein proposed model can by definition only work on an interregional base. Thus, a „replication-internationalization” model is a requirement for an efficiently working metacluster in this context. The presented method of international collaboration combines innovation capabilities of different regions and favours the development of new products and services customized to the requirements of the different markets. It further encourages and supports modern innovation processes in SMEs irrespective of their location. Last but not least it offers the unique possibility for companies to make use of the innovation competences in different regions.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
Steinbeis Innovation gGmbH / Steinbeis-Europa-Zentrum
Germany
Karlsruhe
Contact
Project Consultant