Development of Knowledge Intensive Business Service Innovations and Innovation Networks

Duration:	01.10.2004 - 30.09.2007
Project manager:	Toivonen Marja
Research area:	Company Innovation and R&D Operations
Research funders:	The National Technology Agency (Tekes)
Participating companies:	Evata Finland Ltd Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company Lowe & Partners Pöyry SRV Group

General information

The KIBSINET 2004 - 2007 researches and develops the innovation activities of knowledge intensive business service firms (KIBS) and the innovation networks in which KIBS firms are involved. The project focuses on the Finnish real estate and construction cluster, examining those KIBS firms that are involved in the cluster as well as the innovation networks in the cluster. KIBSINET project is based on the results of KILPA 2003 pre-study, which explored the current state of service innovation activities in the Finnish real estate and construction cluster.

The project consists of two closely interconnected focus areas: KIBSI focuses on innovation activities within KIBS organizations and INET examines the innovation networks in the real estate and construction cluster.

1. Knowledge Intensive Business Service Innovations, KIBSI

The KIBSI focus area concentrates on examining and developing the innovation activities of knowledge intensive business service organisations. The innovation activities are studied at two levels:

• I. The KIBS firms are studied as innovative entities that aim at renewing their service activities. The research questions cover such aspects as the integration of innovation activities to the organisation’s strategy and the inducement and channelling mechanisms that are used in managing organisational innovativeness.
• II. The single service innovations and the innovation processes of KIBS organisations are examined. In this level, the various types of service innovations and the intentional and non-intentional ways through which they take place in KIBS are identified and developed.

2. Innovation Networks, INET

The INET focus area examines value creation through services from a network perspective. The study focuses on different types of environments which facilitate effective knowledge creation, knowledge transfer and the utilisation of knowledge. The main research question in INET is how the networks should function so as the objectives related to knowledge and competences can be reached. The competences, relationships, knowledge transfer and leadership in the networks are examined from the viewpoints of 1) the provision of services, 2) the incremental development of the current services and 3) the creation of new service innovations.

Project personnel