IMP³rove Academy Archives - InnovationManagement

IMP³ROVE ACADEMY

The IMP³rove – European Innovation Management Academy, non-profit (www.improve-innovation.eu) offers innovation management support services to enterprises, consultants and intermediaries. It also provides financial actors, policy makers and academia with consulting support and technical assistance related to innovation and innovation management. The services include innovation management benchmarking for enterprises, training and certification in innovation management, research on innovation management issues and promotion of best practices in innovation management. With its global network, the IMP³rove Academy has set the standard for innovation management assessment. The IMP³rove- European Innovation Management Academy emerged from the European Commission’s flagship programme “IMP³rove”. It was supported by the European Commission’s Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme and receives continued support by Horizon2020.

IMP³rove Report: Effective Innovation Management Support

This collection of case examples of IMP³rove innovation management support services for SMEs to gain competitive advantage illustrates the needs of key stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem. The case examples show how a wide variety of effective support services utilising the IMP³rove offerings address these needs.

Ideascale2019-10-15T15:23:38-07:00June 13th, 2016|Categories: Report, Support for SMEs|Tags: case study, download, europe, in-depth article, innovation training, report, research, SME|

A paradigm shift for SMEs: Leveraging Sustainability as a Driver for Innovation

SMEs have sustainability on their radar. Their main goal is economic sustainability. To achieve this goal, they can take ecological and social sustainability as an opportunity for innovation instead of just considering it as a mere cost driver. Thus innovation and sustainability become the two sides of the coin called profitable growth.

Ideascale2019-10-15T15:16:26-07:00November 27th, 2013|Categories: Strategies, Support for SMEs|Tags: Best Practices, drivers, green innovations, growth strategy, innovation, innovation opprotunities, SME, smes, social sustainability, strategic growth, sustainability|

Innovation For International Markets – How Export Oriented Are Innovation Oriented SMEs In Europe?

The recent economic crisis has confronted companies across Europe with major challenges. Small and medium sized companies in particular seemed to have a customer base too reduced to maintain their business. In such a situation there are two options: invest in developing new customers or invest in developing new, more attractive, offerings.

Ideascale2019-10-15T15:14:42-07:00September 25th, 2013|Categories: Strategies, Support for SMEs|Tags: economic crisis, in-depth article, innovation, innovation success, international markets, internationalization, Open Innovation, SME, smes|

Do SMEs Lose their Appetite for Innovation During the Economic Crisis?

Innovation is always a result of taking risk and mastering these risks successfully. However, in the past few years the risks resulting from the overall economic situation seems to have increased for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). As they cannot control these external risks many of them seem to stay away from too risky innovation projects. This has implications for the SMEs and for those who provide innovation support for SMEs?

Ideascale2019-10-15T15:15:01-07:00July 16th, 2013|Categories: Strategies, Support for SMEs|Tags: ambition, crisis, economic crisis, economy, innovation consultant, innovation support, risk aversion, risk management, risk-taking, SME, smes|

What SMEs can Expect from Value-Creating Innovation Management Consulting

Owners and managers of small and medium sized companies (SMEs) are reluctant to hire consultants and even more so when it comes to innovation management consulting. And they often have good reasons to do so. They don’t see an appropriate value for the money and time they invest on innovation management consulting - especially since the quality and range of such services varies dramatically.

Ideascale2019-10-15T15:13:37-07:00April 5th, 2013|Categories: Support for SMEs|Tags: benchmarking, business development, Change Management, consulting, innovation management consulting, innovation value, small business, SME, smes|

How to Emerge from Crisis by Knowing your Innovation Growth Opportunities & Competitors’ Strengths

Companies sometimes behave like the ostrich with their head in the ground while others emerge from the crisis like a phoenix. Not knowing with which new products or services your company really earns money is a bit like the ostrich. However there are effective means to gain transparency on innovation spending without too much effort. These tools also allow a comparison with your competitors to understand what they are doing differently in their approach to successfully managing their innovation activities. Finally, they help companies which currently struggle with the economic situation to become more effective and efficient in their innovation management.

Ideascale2021-12-05T09:40:52-08:00February 28th, 2013|Categories: Strategies, Support for SMEs|Tags: benchmarking, Competition, competitiveness, crisis management, in-depth article, Innovation Culture, Innovation Strategy, measuring innovation, portfolio management, project management, SME, strengths and weaknesses, transparency|

Convincing SMEs that Innovation Management Matters

SMEs are perceived as the back-bone of most economies in Europe. Therefore, a lot of programs have been launched to support their growth. Over the past years, offering innovation support has become popular, complementing the well-known start-up financing and technology transfer programs. Despite the above, there is a level of dissatisfaction regarding the impact of these services.

Ideascale2021-12-05T09:40:33-08:00February 25th, 2013|Categories: Support for SMEs|Tags: B2B, benchmark study, business development, europe, innovation management consulting, SME, smes|

How to Develop your Innovation Management Consulting Business in Tough Times

Companies become increasingly restrictive in their consulting spending, especially during times of economic crisis, where the return on the investments on consulting services is questioned and carefully considered. Consulting in the area of innovation management is even more under pressure as it is usually much lower on the CEOs’ agenda than e.g. restructuring or general cost-cutting. Therefore, innovation management consultants face the challenge to develop their client base, be effective by providing the right recommendations and be efficient by developing these recommendations in as short a period of time as possible. Mastering such a challenge seems like searching for Columbus’ Egg in innovation management consulting.

Ideascale2021-12-05T09:35:41-08:00February 7th, 2013|Categories: Strategies, Support for SMEs|Tags: benchmarking, Best Practices, consulting, cost cutting, entrepreneurship, in-depth article, Innovation Management, innovation management consulting, innovation resources, small business, smbs, SME, sustainable growth, value proposition|

Why Bother about Innovation Strategy as SMEs?

There is discussion about how much effort should be put into developing an innovation strategy especially by small and medium-sized companies (SMEs). Aren’t many successful innovative offerings just a result of trial, error and finally good luck? Insights in more than 1,500 SMEs from the IMP³rove database demonstrate that strategic focus helps secure profitable growth by innovation.

Ideascale2021-12-05T09:33:09-08:00January 28th, 2013|Categories: Leadership, Strategies, Support for SMEs|Tags: Best Practices, case study, in-depth article, Innovation Management, Innovation Strategy, report, small business, SME, smes, sustainable growth|

How to Deal with Innovation Management When You Are Small?

Innovation is frequently marketed as driver of growth and prerequisite for remaining competitive. However, the process is often risky, especially for small or medium sized enterprises in search of ways to successfully manage their new products, services or businesses in a systemic and stable manner. Luckily, tools such as the “A.T. Kearney House of Innovation” are available to lend an essential helping hand.

Ideascale2021-12-05T09:16:56-08:00December 19th, 2012|Categories: Leadership, Strategies, Support for SMEs|Tags: benchmarking, business growth, Business Model Innovation, competitiveness, entrepreneur, growth, in-depth article, Innovation Culture, Innovation Strategy, small business, smbs, SME, startup, sustainable growth|