INNOVATIONAUDITSYSTEM IN SCHLESWIGHOLSTEIN

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INNOVATION-AUDIT-SYSTEM IN SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN

• Round Table Meeting
• Monitoring of regional competence
• and innovation potential
• 22-24 November 2001

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AGENDA

• Partners in the research project
• Purpose
• Requirement
• Empirical study
• In practice

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PARTNERS IN THE RESEARCH PROJECT
The research project Innovation-Audit-System is
promoted by Contact Dipl.-Kffr. Sabine
Walther Phone [phone] Internet
www.ttzsh.de e-mail walther_at_ttzsh.de
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PURPOSE

• The Innovation-Audit is a tool which helps small
  and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in
  Schleswig-Holstein to evaluate and develop their
  innovation potential.
• Our purpose is to
• detect strengths and weaknesses in the innovation
  process individually for each enterprise,
• evaluate the innovation status and the innovation
  potential of our SMEs,
• show enterprises possibilities on how to increase
  their innovation potential,
• find out how innovation support schemes affect
  RD results and increase the innovation potential
  of SMEs.

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REQUIREMENT

• The creation of the Innovation-Audit and the
  development of the network called
  Innovation-Audit-System is part of a research
  project, which started in March 2001 and will
  finish in March 2003.
• 1. The Innovation-Audit must be able to
  distinguish between enterprises with high
  innovation potential and those with low
  innovation potential.
• 2. It must be able to detect strengths and
  weaknesses in an innovation process.
• 3. The Innovation-Audit will be introduced in a
  limited region - Schleswig-Holstein.
• Therefore, we concentrate on empirical research
  in order to evaluate success factors of
  innovation projects, which were initiated in
  Schleswig-Holstein.

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EMPIRICAL STUDY
Research design
Sample of about 100 supported enterprises
including high and low potentials
Sample of about 100 non-supported enterprises
including high and low potentials
Sample
Data collection
Content analysis
Interview
Effect of innovation support on RD results and
on innovation potential
Data analysis
Success factors of innovation
Data utilization
Questionnaire used for the Innovation- Audit
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EMPIRICAL STUDY

• Data collection
• Development of a questionnaire based on results
  of earlier scientific investigations and
  practical experiences.
• Pilot test with 11 enterprises to judge whether
  the questionnaire is applicable or whether it
  should be modified.
• The questionnaire includes the following topics
• Company profile,
• Experiences in innovation management,
• Formal description of an earlier RD project,
• Project realization,
• Project participants,
• Cooperation,
• Project results,
• Innovation status and innovation potential.

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EMPIRICAL STUDY

• Results of the pilot test
• We analysed ten product innovations and one
  process innovation.
• On average ten individuals were involved in the
  innovation project.
• Only once we observed fluctuation in the project
  team.
• In ten of eleven innovation projects there was
  cooperation with other enterprises or research
  institutes. They worked together on RD,
  marketing or manufacturing.
• Nine of the ten innovative products were tested
  by lead-users.
• None of the innovation projects were stopped due
  to failure.
• Our first results of the empirical study are
  similar to those we found in the pilot test.

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EMPIRICAL STUDY
Based on collected data the enterprises in the
sample can be grouped according to their
innovation status and potential.
Innovation potential
high
medium
low
medium
high
low
Innovation status
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EMPIRICAL STUDY

• Group A Pioneers
• high innovation status / high innovation
  potential
• few weaknesses in the innovation process
• Group B Weakened inventors
• medium innovation status / medium innovation
  potential
• some weaknesses in the innovation process but
  able to increase their innovation potential with
  professional help
• target group for innovation services
• Group C Followers
• low innovation status / low innovation potential
• many weaknesses in the innovation process and no
  visible chance for development

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IN PRACTICE

• Know-how collected in the empirical study is the
  basis for the Innovation- Audit.
• The significant success factors, found in the
  study, are included in the Innovation-Audit
  questionnaire.
• In the Innovation-Audit-System we do not
  restrict to seek out innovative enterprises and
  group them. Additionally, we offer advice on how
  to increase innovation potential.

Data collection in the enterprise by a
counsellor using the Innovation- Audit
questionnaire
Innovation services (Advice for increasing
innovation potential)
Demand for Innovation- Audit
Data analysis
Result
Data storage