User Innovation Policy in Finland 2010 ->

Prof. Jari Kuusisto

10th International Open and User Innovation Workshop July 30-August 1, 2012 Harvard Business School Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Jari Kuusisto

Outline of the presentation

Introduction Demand and user-driven innovation policy in Finland (UDI)
PART I: Framework PART II: Action plan

Examples of user innovation policy measures

Development of consumer innovation indicators Introduction of User innovation measurement in the European Community Innovation Survey Apps4Finland yearly competition Website publishing case studies and blogs on user innovation Road map for opening of public data

Jari Kuusisto

Introduction
The national innovation strategy (2008) searched for new sources of competitive advantage for Finland Demand- and user-driven innovation policy was identified as a central policy area to be developed
Breaking ground to new innovation policy area

In 2009 the Ministry of Employment and Economy organized a formal group to drive demand- and user-driven innovation In 2010 the launch of comprehensive Demand and User-driven Innovation Policy, took place
Influence on government agencies, research funding, business innovation support, and public sector development activities

Jari Kuusisto

Jari Kuusisto

Policy framework
Ministry staff worked intensively with researchers and leading experts for 18 months developing a framework and concepts of user innovation
Resulting policy document was published (Finnish and English editions) Essential for credibility building and effective communications

User Innovation policy framework provides:

A logical organisation of the topic area Themes for the policy action plan A basis for planning and impacts evaluation

Jari Kuusisto

User-driven innova-on
Business driven R&D&I

Developing understanding on users needs

New research methods that provide in-depth understanding on user needs

Users as R&D&I actors and resources

New level of interaction gives users more power & responsibilities in the R&D&I process

User innovations and their commercialization

Users develop innovations for their own purposes; this provides businesses with new ideas and commercial opportunities

Kuusisto, 2009

Source: Ministry of Employment and Economy, (2010) Demand and User-driven Innovation Policy Framework (Part I) and Action Plan (Part II), Helsinki, Finland. Jari Kuusisto

Key areas of the action plan

1. Competitiveness by strengthening knowledge-base and awareness of demand and user-driven innovation 2. Innovations by bolstering demand for novel solutions 3. Renewal of the public sector as a source and target of pioneering actions 4. Incentives for enhancing grass root level initiatives 5. More impact from increased usage of user-driven methods 6. Networks enhancing diffusion of innovations 7. Evaluating the impact of the action programme

Jari Kuusisto

Action plan some policy measures

Wide variety of activities supporting user innovation
Towards smart regulation Development of public sector practices Inputs to IPR strategy Cross governmental activities Activation of regional actors and research performers User innovation is becoming relevant across a wide variety of public policy actors R&D programmes modifications and changes in Funding criteria A developer-forum for user innovations Etc.

Jari Kuusisto

Examples of user innovation policy measures

Jari Kuusisto

UNUMERIT

Statistical Indicators Development for User Innovation and Innovation Transfers in Finland

Eric von Hippel Jeroen de Jong Fred Gault Jari Kuusisto

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Jari Kuusisto

Survey of 3500 Finnish consumers

Telephone and internet surveys by trained interviewers 1. Pilot surveys (6 x 100 consumers) focusing on
Consumer innovation indicator development and Survey method development and selection - telephone vs. internet

2. Main survey of 3500 consumers

Combined telephone and internet survey On-going during spring-summer 2012

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InFi-project - Expected findings

New knowledge of user innovation activities by consumers
Who? When? In what context? How extensively? How are innovations are transferred to commercial actors?

New indicators that will reveal the scope of consumer innovation

In consumer goods In private and public sector services In the context of user groups

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InFi-project - Expected findings II

New inputs for innovation policy development
Consumers as important source of innovation Need to facilitate / promote the transfer of consumer innovations?

New indicators that are instrumental for better statistics

Scale, scope and variation in user innovation by consumers

Indications of the economic significance of consumer innovations

Transfer of consumer innovations to commercial producers

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CIS results - user innovation matters

User innovation is widely spread phenomena among the surveyed Finnish businesses
80 per cent of innovating firms incorporated user information or users in their innovation activity during the survey period Around half of innovating firms commercialized user innovations Involvement of users was most common among enterprises that developed (radical) new to the market product innovations

More results to come in the main presentation

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Concluding comments - policy

User innovation promotion is an important part of Finnish innovation policy It has an important role as catalyst of policy renewal Finland currently has most comprehensive policy for promoting user innovations User innovation policy is systemic in nature
Cross governmental actions are necessary Renewal of regulations and removal of obstacles to user innovations Provides a new perspective to IPR policy development Catalyses change across national innovation system, influencing key government agencies, funding and policy instruments

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Key policy documents

Ministry of Employment and Economy, (2010) Demand and User-driven Innovation Policy Framework (Part I) and Action Plan (Part II), Helsinki, Finland. Ministry of Employment and Economy (2012), Demand- and user-driven innovation policy Action Plan 2010 - 2013- Interim report; Kysynt- ja kyttjlhtisen innovaatiopolitiikan toimenpideohjelma 2010 2013, [In Finnish], Helsinki, Finland. Ministry of Employment and Economy, (2010) Outlining Finnish Innovation Policy; Innovaatiopolitiikan linjaukset ja painopisteet 2010 [In Finnish], Helsinki, Finland. The Research and Innovation Council of Finland (2010) Research and Innovation Policy Guidelines for 2011 2015, Helsinki, Finland.

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