Services Innovation in Ireland - Options for ... - Europe INNOVA

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attention. In the context of the case studies, sectoral networks (both national and international) were identified as important mechanisms to share knowledge, particularly amongst non-competitors. Again, the enabling approach was felt to be most appropriate. R&D was also highlighted in the case studies. Here, a number of companies in sectors such as IT and traded e-learning services were already active in systematic R&D. For most of the case study companies, however, R&D was viewed as a largely alien concept. For some companies, this was an issue of better educating service companies on the availability of such forms of support and its applicability and availability for service innovation projects. For others, however, it was viewed as suggesting the need for more specific service research projects, with a sectoral focus. Other examples of support were identified by single companies and are not discussed in detail here due to lack of corresponding evidence. For example suggestions focusing on the role and contribution of the education sector to services innovation, including the role of schools in raising a culture of innovation from a young age were made. While this is not a specific services innovation issue, the notion that a more effective culture of innovation can benefit from a focus on issues such as flexibility and innovativeness at an early stages of education. At the same time co-operative placements between universities and enterprises were also noted as a means of facilitating more relevant curriculum developments to the needs of the service sector. These findings do not provide a strongly or coherently argued case. This could be taken to imply that such companies do not have a strong need for services innovation supports, as may indeed be the case for the larger companies studied, or it may correspond to the services innovation literature which stresses that the dominant language of innovation revolves around technological concepts such as R&D and may therefore be fundamentally incompatible with discussion around the needs of services innovation. 4.6 Summary The main evidence base for service innovation activity in Ireland is currently provided by the CIS 75 . Data from the most recent published CIS3 (2003) suggests that higher levels of innovation are found in manufacturing, compared to the services sector. The case studies, however, do not paint a picture of a laggard sector; indeed they suggest that that service companies in Ireland are evolving and innovating on a constant basis, in each of the different sectors examined. Such innovation, however, with the exception of IT based service sectors, does not necessarily follow traditional innovation metrics such as R&D. Instead, the framework that was outlined in Chapter 2 helps to reveal a rich pattern of innovation activity in relation to business models, customer interfaces and new services. In relation to the innovation models, while examples were found of each model, the case studies suggest that relatively few companies utilise a fast track approach, which is viewed as overly risky, instead preferring a combined approach built on systematic service development, complemented by more incremental changes once implemented. The case studies also revealed different organisational models of innovation. In this respect the main approach in evidence was one based on innovation champions. This was not necessarily a formalised approach based on job titles and so on. In most cases champions were self selected from senior management teams. More formal approaches were, however, in evidence particularly in larger companies and software driven sectors, where organised innovation teams were in evidence – often coalescing around a particular project requirement. These relatively ‘elite’ approaches to innovation did, however, contrast with more ‘democratic’ approaches based around empowerment of the entire workforce that was evident in a small number of case studies. 75 Other surveys such as the annual Forfás BERD survey provide a useful complement, but does not provide a detailed breakdown of the service sector. 53
Drivers of service innovation were also considered. Here, the findings did not reveal drivers that were significantly different to those reported in more traditional surveys of innovation. The most common drivers cited in the case studies were: customer demand, competition, technology change and regulatory requirements. These drivers were largely shared across the company and sectors studied. Similarly a range of internal barriers to service innovation were also identified. These were noted in relation to the lack of resources including skilled and creative people and money. In relation to the case study companies’ use of business supports, a mixed picture was revealed by the case studies. A significant number of companies in the IT and financial services sector, for example, found to be using technological innovation support measures (RTI grants, for example). This contrasts with the often expressed view that these types of support are of less relevance to services innovation or service sector companies. It should be noted, however, that companies were using this technological support largely to facilitate the delivery of new or improved services, customer interfaces and so on. The case studies also indicate that companies felt that the agencies had a valid role in seeking to support their service innovation efforts. Some of the larger company case studies did, however, suggest that agencies are thought not to be well placed to understand and support specialised internal service processes. Support for such companies was felt to be best positioned in relation to either financial supports for innovation activities and structures or advice. This corresponds with the view of most case studies that while financial supports are useful, indirect supports in areas such as networks and research are equally valued. 54
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Services Innovation in Ireland - Op
Page 4:
Preface The services sector in Irel
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6 Policy and Programme Conclusions
Page 10 and 11:
Executive Summary Ireland like many
Page 12 and 13: The conceptual framework used in th
Page 14 and 15: A Rationale for Services Innovation
Page 16 and 17: Policy Environment Conclusions 1. A
Page 18 and 19: The above conclusions are designed
Page 20 and 21: Only a few countries have begun to
Page 22 and 23: This report is structured in accord
Page 24 and 25: Rapidly developing technology has b
Page 26 and 27: Figure 2 Examples of Services Locat
Page 28 and 29: • Customer specific application -
Page 30 and 31: 2.5 A Typology of the Services Inno
Page 32 and 33: Fast Market Entry - Emphasis on Spe
Page 34 and 35: 3 Global Sectors and Services Innov
Page 36 and 37: usiness models including not only i
Page 38 and 39: y the customer and supplier. The de
Page 40 and 41: In SCM-logistics sectors customer d
Page 42 and 43: A culture of innovation in financia
Page 44 and 45: For example, Netherlands’s Connek
Page 46 and 47: the limited emergence of cross-bord
Page 48 and 49: 4 Current Position of Services Inno
Page 50 and 51: In order to build on both the findi
Page 52 and 53: and develop their services. This ap
Page 54 and 55: Types Table 5 Services Innovations
Page 56 and 57: Alongside the systematic approach t
Page 58 and 59: Customer demand as a driver of serv
Page 60 and 61: In the case of RFID technologies co
Page 64 and 65: 5 Irish Policy Support for Services
Page 66 and 67: This report sets out an agenda for
Page 68 and 69: Figure 4 Enterprise Ireland Innovat
Page 70 and 71: Key agencies have responded to the
Page 72 and 73: 6 Policy and Programme Conclusions
Page 74 and 75: 6.1.2 Innovation in Irish Services
Page 76 and 77: 6.3 A Policy Environment for Servic
Page 78 and 79: The promotion of a services innovat
Page 80 and 81: These activities should aim to fost
Page 82 and 83: In order to articulate how a servic
Page 84 and 85: Strand 4 An Innovative Services Inn
Page 86 and 87: Acknowledgement This Forfás study
Page 88 and 89: Annex 2 - Research Method Introduct
Page 90 and 91: A total of 29 company interviews we
Page 92 and 93: Transition to the Knowledge Economy
Page 94 and 95: It is probably in financial service
Page 96 and 97: 2. Financial Services Financial ser
Page 98 and 99: Annex 5 - Global Sector Concentrati
Page 100 and 101: Sweden’s artists and performers w
Page 102 and 103: Services Innovation in London’s F
Page 104 and 105: experienced a fairly significant an
Page 106 and 107: files through various channels such
Page 108 and 109: Annex 6 - Indicators of Services In
Page 110 and 111: Indicators of Service Sector Innova
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Table R&D Engagement in Services an
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Table 11 is drawn from the most rec
Page 116 and 117:
Annex 8 - Bibliography Berger, A.,
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Kuusisto, J. and Meyer, M. (2003)
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Forfás Publications 2006 Future Sk
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Forfás, Wilton Park House, Wilton
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