Summary objectives The background 7

Karlsruhe, Rhône Alpes, Emilia-Romagna and Oxfordshire

Thematic Network for the Support of Innovative Companies

Methodology for Innovation Practices Exchange

Table of Contents

1 Summary 5

2 Objectives 7

3 The background 7

3.1 KREO TN1 methodology 7

3.2 Results of the KREO TN1 methodology 8

3.3 Methodological aspects to be improved 13

4 Methodological basic elements 13

4.1 Definitions 13

4.2 Thematic Priorities 14

4.3 Sectors approach 15

5 General working mechanisms 17

5.1 STORMING 17

5.2 NORMING 19

5.3 PERFORMING 19

6 Exploration, transfer and implementation of good practices 20

6.1 Basic 20

6.2 Exploratory phase 20

6.3 Transfer phase 21

6.4 Implementation phase 22

7 Various decision levels involved 23

7.1 The partner organisations 23

7.2 The Advisory Board 23

7.3 Local networks 24

8 Tools 25

ANNEX 1

INDICATORS ON REGIONAL FRAMEWORK CONDITIONS 26

ANNEX 2

STRUCTURE FOR COLLECTING INFORMATION ON POLICIES AND INITIATIVES DEVELOPEDED WITHIN THE REGIONAL FRAMEWORK CONDITIONS 28

ANNEX 3

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE IDENTICATION AND ANALYSIS OF GOOD PRACTICES 30

1 General information (publishable) 31

Name of the practice 31

Organisation/s carrying out the practice 31

Contact person/s 31

Classification according to the KREO TN2 priorities 32

Classification according to PAXIS Priority Action Lines 32

2 Brief description of the practice (publishable) 33

Problem/weakness tackled by the practice 33

Brief description of the practice 33

3 Detailed description of the practice (for internal use) 33

Partnership 33

Formalisation of the partnership 33

Target group 34

Sectoral focus of the practice 34

Process/phases of the practice 34

Tools 34

Resources 34

Has the practice been adapted/modified during its life-time? Why? 35

Is the practice unique at the regional level or are there other similar practices, in terms of objective and/or organisational structure? In case other similar practices exist, please list them and provide a short definition. 35

How does the practice fit in the regional system? Is it formally or informally linked to other practices existing in the region? If yes, please list the other practices, provide a short definition of each of them and a short description of the kind of link. 35

4 DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES ACCORDING TO SELECTED YARDSTICKS 35

YARDSTICK 1: Interface 35

4.3 YARDSTICK 3: Financial sustainability 36

4.4 YARDSTICK 4: Repeatability 36

5 Monitoring and evaluation 36

Ways of monitoring and evaluation 36

Assessment methods and tools 36

Indicators 36

Has the practice been adapted as a consequence of assessment results? 36

6 Success factors and problems encountered 36

Excellence of the practice 36

Success factors 37

Major problems raised during the development of the practice 38

Possible future development 38

ANNEX 4

VISITING SCHEMES 39

1Summary

The overall objective pursued by the KREO Network is to support the continuous improvement of a favourable environment for the starting-up and development of innovative firms, mainly research based, fostering thus a technological change and producing a positive impact in terms of economic and social growth and employment.

This overall objective is attained through the identification of the expertise and good innovation practices developed in the four partner regions, that have been recognised as Regions of Excellence, in terms of mechanisms for setting-up and supporting innovative enterprises. The network validates these experiences according to a common methodology in order to facilitate mutual learning and effective transfer. Moreover it disseminates the knowledge and the identified successful practices at European level.

The present document defines the methodology supporting this validation process, with a specific focus on creating operative tools able to maximise the exchange of information and knowledge – often tacit one – on innovation practices and on the regional context and framework conditions where they have been developed.

It has to be noticed that the methodology described in the present document is based on the work carried out by the KREO partners within the first project round (KREO TN1), which final results are the starting point to further refine techniques and to carry on the collection and exchange of good innovation practices.

Several improvements have however been made as regards methodological aspects, working mechanisms and implemented tools.

With regard to methodological elements, partners have defined four main themes to concentrate on, a different workpackage having been set-up for each of these. In addition, partners have decided to focus on a series of productive sectors and key technologies, the aim being to identify fields of common interest in order to better focus project activity all along the project duration.

As regards the methodology’s working mechanisms, a “storming, norming, performing” approach has been introduced. The storming activity consists in the identification and monitoring of regional innovation framework conditions on the basis of which good practices are collected and relative key regional players are involved. Norming regards the activity aimed at transferring knowledge on specific practices from one region to the others, while performing aims at disseminating concrete outputs to potential beneficiaries.

The most important working mechanism identified in the methodology regards the exploration, transfer and implementation of good practices.

The aim of the exploratory phase is to identify new and original approaches in the support of innovative companies and new entrepreneurs.

The transfer phase is composed of three different sub-phases: (1) the selection sub-phase which aims at identifying good practices in the four thematic priorities, establishing key issues to be addressed and, when applicable, considering specific sectorial implications; (2) the analysis sub-phase which involves the identification of a series of specific issues, useful for rendering explicit the knowledge related to the selected practice and favouring practices to be evaluated according to defined yardsticks and eventually to a set of impact indicators that will be jointly developed by the partnership; (3) the exchange of good practices is the sub-phase devoted to transferring knowledge between the regions.

The last phase regards the implementation of a regional good practice - or selected features of the latter - in the other regions, through the involvement of local network members having the will and capacity to learn and adapt the initiative to the local context.

Finally the definition of the working mechanisms includes the identification of the involvement and roles of the various decision levels foreseen within the network (from the Advisory Board to the Local Area Networks).

Several tools have also been developed in order to facilitate specific knowledge on the practices to be exchanged among the partners and joint know-how to be developed. Two tools aim at the identification and monitoring of regional features, a series of quantitative and qualitative indicators having been defined for evaluating the KREO regions competitive positions, as regards the creation and exploitation of knowledge, and the characteristics and performances of their innovation systems. Other tools support the transfer of knowledge on selected good practices, among which a questionnaire for the selection and analysis of good practices and a set of indicators – to be developed – for the evaluation of the practices impact. Further exchange of knowledge will take place through the organisation of joint workshops, seminars and visiting schemes.