GI - Edition Lecture Notes in Informatics

In this paper we propose an innovation model for the collaborationbetween SME and public research institutions in order to enhance knowledgetransfer and to foster the creation of a regional innovation network. A third aspectis to enhance a more intense cooperation in the public research sector betweeninstitutions and departments. In this paper we discuss the term innovation anddescribe the following aspects: (1) the general idea of the developed bottom-upinnovation model, (2) the organizing framework of the participants in the networkand (3) the procedure in the innovation process. 1 Innovation is the Key Successful innovation is the basis of a competitive economy and sustained economiclong-term growth. Research and development (R&D;) accounts for nearly half of theeconomic growth in the U.S. [PK03] [AW08]. As innovation cycles become shorter anddevelopment costs continuously increase, companies are under constant pressure toadjust their innovation development and management schemes. Nowadays it is more andmore essential to collaborate with other businesses, customers, institutions and even withcompetitors in order to include expertise not covered by the company itself into theinnovation process. Using open innovation in order to share internal and integrateexternal knowledge within the process of idea generation, research, development andcommercialization stages help to reduce costs and risks of innovation schemes [Ch03].The open innovation paradigm provides the opportunity to pursue innovations which donot fit into the current company strategy or to commercialize ideas generated outside thecompany [PD09] [GE06]. Furthermore, innovations are increasingly not developed byone single company, but are more and more created cooperatively through an entirevalue chain with several companies involved. Especially high-tech businesses such asinformation and communication technologies are forced to open up their internalinnovation process and band together in networks to adjust to the global evolution pace.For small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) it is vitally important to createinnovation networks, as they are frequently neither able to provide all skills needed in