The workshop in brief - PRO INNO Europe

attitudes and different ways of thinking are needed, e.g. by combining science and
arts. Europe should focus on creativity and address arts and design to foster
innovation performance.
Beside attitudes and mindset, also skills and access to well educated, competent and
qualified workforce and experts are an important prerequisite for innovation success.
Innovation and entrepreneurship should be present in the educational system as
early as possible to affect attitudes towards innovation.
New innovation approaches: open innovation and customer focus
The scope of innovation is increasingly changing from a linear and closed system to
an open innovation system related with an open mindset. In an open system,
innovation is seen as a process of shared activity in a complex system of interactions
and relationships between a wide diversity of actors in the public and private sector.
Most innovation comes from the market, from customers, citizens, suppliers and
competitors and is therefore an increasingly collaborative process. The current
emphasis of policy on technology based innovation and R&D is thereby necessary,
but not sufficient. A broader definition of innovation is needed beyond technology
based innovation and R&D, encompassing “hidden” innovation in all sectors of the
economy.
The development of new ‘innovation communities’ may help to use the diversity of
talent to address diversity of increasingly complex social and economic challenges.
The support of open innovation centres and innovation intermediaries contributes to
avoid segregation of SMEs, large firms and research organisations as
complementary actors in open innovation. For this structures and operational
guidelines for co-operation as well as new business models that harvest the
resources of competitors, suppliers, lead users, customers and citizens have to be
developed (e.g. for R&D PPPs).
Innovation at company level
Different organisational and management styles influence the development of
individual creativity and of creative environments. They are associated with culture
and trust as well as innovation level and innovation type of organisations. Companies
with a successful innovation management and sustainable innovation strategy grow
faster and more profitable. These “Innovation Leaders” are characterised by a long
term innovation strategy as an integral part of the business strategy, focussing on
customer needs. They address the entire product lifecycle process and make efficient
06.10.2008 Page 5 of 34 INNO-Views WS 04 Output final