‘Exchanging competence’ is the basis of complex interactions now possible between EU innovators. Using the web tool developed through earlier clustering exercises, on-line discussion forums and group meetings are exploring means of making the best use of each other’s expertise in non-competitive areas.

Under the ‘Promotion of Innovation and SMEs’ programme within FP5, six nontechnical accompanying measures projects(1) were developed to support the programme’s innovation projects. They covered areas like project management, where exchange of experience and best practice in ‘clusters’ could benefit unrelated projects, without damaging their competitive ability. The most widely applicable of the accompanying measures was called Lifestyle, and offered advice to project participants on social, economic and psychological aspects of innovation and its exploitation, including intellectual property management and dissemination of results. One of its tools, the online ‘office’ for interaction with other projects, has now given rise to a new web tool, the euCluster portal(2).

Innovation community
At the end of 2003, the last accompanying measure was wound up, but as the main organiser of the clustering process, Lifestyle had developed an active following among innovation-project participants and others. The Lifestyle team pledged to continue work as individuals to support the building of the euCluster innovation community. It would do this by regular workshops and through the euCluster portal, but no longer with direct EU funding. Lifestyle’s Lars Karlsson, from the University of Lund, comments: “We have built a very active community based on the ideas of innovation. The important idea of sharing non-technological skills, which was once quite revolutionary, is everywhere now.”

What’s on offer?
The portal is a virtual meeting place, still primarily for those engaged in innovation projects under FP5. Users can consult any or all of the others, or exchange experience of problem-solving. As well as virtual interaction, the portal also links users in person, in regular workshops, to focus on particular aspects of effective innovation in practice. An on-line survey of all the portal users took into account how far interaction with other participants in clusters would be beneficial to them, both for contributing and for receiving expertise. The main areas of interest were redefined, and show that project participants are most eager to share best practices in:

• Marketing and dissemination of innovation,
• Learning and knowledge management,
• Networking techniques: clustering and building relations with other teams, and
• How to involve SMEs.

The four current cluster groups focus on competence development; SME growth, competence and knowledge management; dissemination, marketing and design of innovation; and sustainable development. An umbrella group discusses more general issues. Membership of any of these cluster groups is open to anyone active in innovation.

Working together
Each cluster attracts support from the projects and individuals who feel most able to contribute expertise (it is a requirement of their EU funding that they commit a proportion of their time and budget to doing so). Within each cluster are many examples of projects helping each other. In the competence development cluster, the innovation projects Entertain(3), e- Compete, EWISME, CSNIntran and Regional Competence have been able to do this. The e-Compete project, for example, contributes new advances in e-learning tools, and benefits from advice from Regional Competence on management of competence. Entertain is looking at ways to develop the skills of small enterprises in selfassessment and improved innovative capacity, while EWISME is concerned with linking innovative SMEs in existing and new EU Member States. CSN-Intran has a more technological focus, in aquaculture, but is concerned with the mechanisms of transfer of innovative technologies.

Tools for other uses
The tools used in the euCluster portal are also being taken up in other contexts. For example, the Information Society Technologies (IST) RISESI project on integrating and empowering minority groups in the ICT labour market will use the workshop technique and on-line tools. The cluster on dissemination, marketing and design is studying the idea of observer groups, to give feedback from potential users to the developer of an innovative product. The possibility here for very positive early guidance is tempered by a need for adequate protection of intellectual property. One of the present innovation projects, CLUES, is mapping ‘competence areas’ in IT, biotechnology and nanotechnology in regions of Germany, France, Sweden and Austria. On-line tools can integrate and visualise them, facilitating access by interested parties like investors and entrepreneurs.

Karlsson believes that when the innovation projects are completed, there will be enough momentum and sufficient numbers of new people and organisations to continue the work. “The innovation community is growing in an organic way,” he maintains. “All these skilled people have other activities and links to other organisations, so the network widens all the time.”

Competences ranked in descending priority; 5 = highest priority and 1 = lowest.

What are the key areas to share? The innovators’ view.

(1) See ‘With a little help from your friends’, edition 2/03.

(2) http://www.eucluster.net/; developed together with the SME, Samurajdata AB, a partner in the Regional Competence project.

(3) See‘Entertaining innovation in small enterprises’.

Contact

L. Karlsson, Department of Education,
University of Lund, Sweden
Tl. + 46 70 911 6207
Fx. + 46 46 222 4538
office@hippo.org