The IFS Network

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The IFS Network

• IRE Industrial Sub-group meeting
• Cambridge, UK
• June 2001

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Western Sweden RITTS findings

• Increase SME collaboration
• Increase integration and collaboration of support
• Create Western Sweden Start-up strategy
• Improve access to finance for innovation

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Western SwedenSub-region Skaraborg
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Sub-region Skaraborg

• Population 255 000
• Area 7000 km2
• Economic profile
• Agriculture and food 25
• Industry dominated by automotive and white-goods
  industry (LEs and suppliers)
• GRP below EU average
• 1 university college in Skövde w/science park

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IDS - Industrial District Skaraborg

• Cluster pre-study started 1999
• Targets automotive/white-goods suppliers
• Aims to promote mutual business and value
  increase in supply chain by
• bringing companies together
• making companies aware of global
  threats/opportunities
• facilitating the interface with qualified support
• Championed by customercompanies (Volvo,
  Electrolux)

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Presentation of the IFS networkObjectives

• Support and promote the concept of clusters in
  the region
• Address the change/growth needs of targeted firms
  and reach a better impact of the qualified
  support brought by public sector organisations
• Increase the transparency of the public sector
  support
• Increase the level of professionalism of business
  and technical advisors
• Develop and test a model that can be expanded and
  adapted to the Västra Götaland Region.

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IDS A company cluster
The IFS Network a support Network Cluster
Research of doers with relevant skills
Teams of doers with complementary skills
Network organisers
?
?
First contact, projects detection and valuation
on feasibility
Network
Network of coaches watchers
?
Pre-implementation of 50  projects 
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Management of the IFS networkManagement levels
The Steering Committee
The Operational Management Group
The Council

• Develops the Network
• Manages the day-to-day business of the Network
  members
• Prepares the Steering Committees
• Manages the external consultant

• Gives its appreciation and will favour the
  introduction of new organisations into the TDN

• Steers the progresses of the IFS Network
• Prepares the dissemination actions for the Västra
  Götaland Region
• Promotes and support the IFS Network within their
  own organisations

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Membership of the IFS networkHow to meet the
objectives

• Increase the quality of the interventions
• Involving Selection procedures (recruit members
  who like the IFS Network concept and form a group
  covering all business aspects)
• Detecting complex needs in firms
• Creating a platform within the Networks to
  respond to these needs
• Be more selective/adaptive in the number of firms
  receiving support
• Detecting the firms that present the best
  potential for growth and expansion. Tailoring the
  support to the capacity of the firm.
• Learn to work together
• Increasing the transparency between service
  providers (share of competencies, information
  about the visits and detection of needs)

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Relationships with the IDS cluster

• Helping the cluster to recruit members
• Inlvolving discussions/workshops to co-ordinate
  the work, detect problems, develop solutions,
  etc.
• Creating proposals for Growth Contracts where a
  cluster of business advisors will deliver support
  to a firm aiming at favouring its growth

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Monitoring systemTargets
Network operation Continuous monitoring
Network output Selective evaluation
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Monitoring system objectives

• A full understanding of the network performance
• A critical information about the network
  operations
• A measurement of efforts involved by members as
  well as individual and collective outputs
• Detection of SMEs expectation from TDN services
• Promotion of the network (credibility gain)
• Support of member relationships by member
  involvement
• Encourage the adaptability of the network
• Reporting and definition of an action plan
• A good-practice guidance note and definition of
  an ideal network (in terms of structure,
  development and achievement) to be disseminated
  to the Region

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Monitoring systemHow to improve the networks
performance
1- Define the ideal network (TDN objectives /
qualitative quantitative target criteria) 2-
Identify constraints corresponding to targeted
criteria 3- Identify gaps and main causes 4-
Adapt objectives / actions
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Continuous monitoringThe members
auto-evaluation tool
1st step Operational Management group ,
Steering Committee and Council Members 2nd step
Regional bodies and Potential members
(dessimination actions)

Managers face-to-face interviews
Appreciation Form
Ensure the transferability of the analysis with
the selective monitoring tools
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Selective monitoringMeasurement of network
outputs

• measure constraints met by service demanders /
  service providers
• detect new need and expectations
• measure the network efficiency through the final
  user appreciation

Appreciation Form
SMEs interviews
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Monitoring system outputThe data-exchange
platform (proposed structure)
(TDN history)
TDN survey
Data exchange
Reporting
Training cessions
Meeting
News
SMEs visits report
Pilot project reporting
Last training cession reporting
SMEs appreciation forms
Last meeting reporting
Press releases
(RITTS history)
Regional bodies interviews
SMEs contacts database
Monitoring reporting
Next meeting agenda
Next training cession agenda
(TDN a pilot project)
Members appreciation forms
Steering committee reporting
SMEs testimonies
(TDN objectives)
Meeting inscriptions
Member database
Online survey
Training cession inscriptions
(TDN development)
Thematic chats forums
Thematic proposals
(TDN achievements)
Good practices
Accessible for members but also for external
users
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Monitoring system outputAn online and
auto-running evaluation tool
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Monitoring system outputThe TDN survey
continous feed-back
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Monitoring systemThe spider illustration (gaps
and time scale)
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Monitoring system outputThe TDN survey
continous feed-back
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External IFS network activities

• Long-term development projects Growth contracts
• Problem solving
• Group projects (benchmarking, joint development
  projects)
• Telephone service

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Internal IFS network activities

• Study visits in member organisations
• Seminars in business/technology
• Generalist training

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Current status

• IDS cluster has about 50 potential members
• IFS has 7 members
• 5 research institutes (Production, Ceramics,
  Polymer, Testing and Food-Biotech)
• 1 University College (Skövde)
• 1 State development organisation (ALMI)
• Allocated budget 0,9 M until 2003
• Applied for 1,2 M additional funding from ERDF
  Innovative Actions with Region
• SME projects being started

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Experience

• Network operation smoother than expected
• Availability of willing trust persons
• Coordination with company cluster

• Critical mass of cluster
• Marketing of idea to cluster companies
• Willingness of companies to participate
• Funding of activities