RIS Analysis getting it right from the start

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RIS Analysis getting it right from the start

• Petra Falchetto
• Elzbieta Ksiazek
• 2nd Methodological Workshop for RIS Project
  Managers
• Malta, 26-17 February 2006

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Stages of your RIS project
06/05
05/06
04/07
01/08
Stage 1
Stage 0
Stage 2
Implemen- tation of prior pilot
actions by regional actors
Your Regional Innovation Strategy
Definition of measures and prior
pilot actions
Needanalysis
Network analysis
Presentation discussionof analysesresults co
nsensusbuilding
Coordination
Detailedelabora-tionof theworkprogram
Offeranalysis
SWOT andSynthesis
regular meetings of the Steering committee
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Objectives

• Map reality in the region from a system point of
  view
• Innovation is a result of co-operation and mutual
  learning rather than a result of a linear
  process.
• It is not the individual players who perform
  separately that create an innovative growth
  climate. It is how these players interact as part
  of a system.
• The objective of RIS is to map and identify the
  different actors within the region and the
  interaction between them.
• The objective of RIS is to understand cooperation
  between research, politics and commercial
  interests where the different players/organisation
  s interact with the purpose of establishing
  innovative environments.

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Objectives

• Understand your regions standing in
  international comparison
• A regions competitiveness is determined by the
  strengths and weaknesses relative to other
  regions strengths and weaknesses.
• The objective of RIS is to identify fields and
  networks that are internationally competitive.

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Objectives

• Achieve consensus amongst key players
• Consensus must be made on the fact that
  innovation is the ground for development.
• Consensus must be made on priority fields of
  action.
• Consensus must be made on which strategy to
  adopt.
• Consensus must be made amongst key stakeholders!
• But, do not allow the slowest coward to dominate
  all others.

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Objectives

• Strengthen commitment of key players
• The objective of stage 1 is to prepare for stage
  2.
• During stage 1 the objective is to identify and
  commit champions to the initiative in general and
  specific actions in particular.

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Objectives

• Make the base for a relevant strategy
• To find out what are the issues to be addressed
  in the strategy
• Urgent needs, challenges, what action can lead to
  achieve the vision
• Contribute to a ready-to-implement action plan
• discussing problems
• and possible solutions
• with the actors that should undertake the actions
• Legitimisation - provide justification for the
  strategy not the idea of the PM but a result of
  research

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Being well prepared

• Understanding of different roles
• Project Manager/Management Unit
• Steering Committee
• Working groups
• International and regional consultants
• Partner regions
• Regional stakeholders
• Interviewed institutions/people
• Ensuring common understanding
• Interactions, talk to each other, dont let
  somebody go alone and be back with not useful
  result

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Being well prepared

• Project planning
• What, who, when, what deliverable/quantity,
  resources
• Activities to involve the stakeholders
• dont disappear during the months of the
  research
• workshops, focus groups, business breakfast,
  media visiting companies?
• parallel actions implementation of some pilots
• continuation of awareness raising

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Key Messages

• You must not outsource stage 1 to experts
• It is about YOUR region!
• It is about YOU learning to know the companies
  and their needs in the region.
• It is about YOU learning which actors supplies
  innovation support.
• It is about YOU deciding on the strategies for
  YOUR region.
• YOUR commitment is needed for implementation.

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Key Messages

• You must not run stage 1 without professional
  external support
• RIS is about learning from past experience from
  other regions.
• Professional external support provides you with
• Sector-specific knowledge.
• International networks.
• Methodological expertise.
• Neutral professionals provide trustworthiness.

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Role of the Steering Committee

• Discussion of the analysis results
• Regional platform for consensus building on the
  regional measures to be taken in the course of
  the innovation support
• Active participation in the preparation and
  implementation of the Regional Innovation Strategy

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Role of external consultants

• Provision of experience with project management
  in RIS/RITTS projects
• Elaboration of Work programme
• Support by analysis, documentation and
  presentations of results
• Provision of best practice examples from other
  European regions
• Definition of the action plan in close
  collaboration with the Steering Committee
• Support by pilot actions elaboration and
  implementation

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Role of RIS Management

• Coordination of all the other actors
• Involvement in all the activities
• Monitoring - making sure that the process
  achieves the objectives
• May perform interviews, analyses, writing reports
• Work at the backstage

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Methodology for your own RIS

• Fields to focus on (leading sectors? trends
  analysis? scenarios?)
• Research method (postal survays, visits,
  technology audits, participatory ways workshops,
  focus groups)
• Questionnaire
• Hypotheses to be checked
• Analysing the results

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Innovation process
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Regional Innovation System

(figure by Strinnop)
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Modelling the process and system
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Main goals of RIS

• Offer of innovation supporting services based on
  companies needs and technology
• Building up of a regional innovation network
• Efficient and effective use of public funds for
  technology transfer
• Sustainable activities for promotion of
  innovation

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Central questions of RIS

• Which tasks have to be fulfilled by a regional
  innovation network?
• How can the use of innovation supporting services
  be promoted?
• How can the sustainability of innovation
  supporting activities be achieved?

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RIS project conception
Ongoing actions in the region
Explicit needs of companies
Experience exchange with other European regions
Linking up of the offer
Overall conception
Paramount actions
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Stage 1 - RIS analysis

• Central questions before starting the analysis
• WHAT do we want to measure?
• WHO are the target groups?
• HOW do we want to measure it?

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WHAT to measure?

• Innovation Demand
• Innovation Supply/Offer
• Technology Trends
• ? OVERALL INNOVATION LANDSCAPE OF
• THE REGION

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WHAT to measure?
Technology Trends
Innovation Demand
Innovation Supply
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Diagnosing problems - example

• Sample answers for innovation barriers in a
  company
• High cost for innovation 49
• Lack of the expertise in the company 7
• Lack of specialised personnel 4
• Inadequate legislation/regulation - 62
• Lack of technological information 34
• Non-existence of technology support services
  27
• Negative reactions to changes inside the company
  0
• No need for innovation 0
• Lack of financial resources 87

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Making sure it is relevant

• Relevant findings
• Small companies lack highly qualified engineers
• The universities lack people/units being contact
  points for SMEs
• Sector A is strategic for the region, for the
  share in the (regional/European) market and
  growing opportunities
• Irrelevant findings
• SMEs in the capital of the region are more
  innovative than in the peripheries
• SMEs in sector A are more innovative than in
  sector B

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Pitfalls to avoid

• Losing the momentum
• RIS is not a research project
• PM being passive the reseach done by experts
  will reveal
• Dont expect too much of enlightement and Eureka
  type of discovery
• Dont be afraid to anticipate results
• A too complicated analysis will not be understood
  need for clear, strong recommendations

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But you can gain more than you expect

• Example of Wielkopolska expert (one of a few)
  surveyed sample counties
• Identification of champions
• Local authorities active in support of business
• Good practices (business fora)
• Companies champions of innovation
• A cluster under formation
• Active business support centres
• Taking the champions on board (regional working
  groups)

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Motto

• Statistics are like
• a lamp-post to a drunken man
• more for leaning on
• than illumination
• Office wisdom of David Brent ?

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Questions
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