Innovation Systems and Support Instruments

Innovation systems are closely linked with the subject of knowledge and its generation, exchange, development and application. This allows innovative products and services to emerge and at the same time fosters intensely collaborative processes. It is not only the individual players at the micro-level with their respective resources and capabilities that are relevant, for instance companies and research institutions; rather, decisive drivers for innovation are increasingly found at the meso-level as well. This includes that players and stakeholders interrelate to build structures, so that their interaction, collaboration and networking mobilises additional "capital" – such as within the scope of cluster development.

What range of services do we offer?
Smoothly functioning innovation systems are more of an ideal than a reality. For many years, we have been supporting the EU as well as the German federal government and Länder governments with professional content design and with the implementation of new instruments that promote research and innovation. Owing to our many years of experience as a project-executing agency, we also have administrative and organisational expertise.

We look at innovation systems from their respective geographical, sectoral and technological contexts. Based on our diverse experiences with different innovation systems, we provide our clients with empirically-based up-to-date insights on regional or national innovation systems, classify them within the (inter)national innovation landscape and support the further evolvement, especially of regional co-operations, such as clusters and networks.

Our services include:

• Analysis and evaluation of innovation systems as well as diagnostic analysis, i.e. the identification of strengths, weaknesses and possible strategies and fields of development.
• Advice, consulting and support for political and economic players with respect to the design of new instruments to promote innovation as well as with regard to further development of existing instruments, taking into account the various interfaces between science and industry in the context of knowledge and technology transfer.

What methods and tools do we work with?
The foundations for our research and consulting activities are the diversification and continuity of our topics and our extensive experience in business operations. Our portfolio of methods allows the combined use of quantitative analytical tools and qualitative methods. Based on our diverse practical experience, we constantly refine the instruments we employ. Please do not hesitate to consult with us!