Percorsi Erratici: a responsible and open innovation network of SMEs

By project MARIE

Published on 29 June 2018

Italy

Abruzzo

About this good practice

Percorsi Erratici is a network of over 30 SMEs from different sector and of different size (mostly SMEs), sharing a methodology to deliver new products/services through an open innovation process.
Percorsi Erratici aims at providing an open innovation laboratory, where highly innovative business may be generated, meaning new markets and/or competitive advantage for the network members.
The project, conceived by CISE, is promoted by the Chamber of Commerce of Romagna and the Chamber of Commerce of Ravenna, to support cooperation among companies from different industries and of various sizes, pooling competences, ideas and resources.
Members get together along a process including input from experts of various disciplines, sharing of competences and technologies, brainstorming, feasibility check and business planning, shared IPR, business start-up. The process is open to participation of selected youths, with entrepreneurial attitude. The process is a funnel encompassing continuous refinement and selection of ideas, until a number of members engage in investing in max 3 start-ups, to be actually set up. Successful start-ups will pay a royalty to the network.
Percorsi Erratici members share a vision of responsible innovation, environmentally sustainable and inclusive, oriented towards improving the quality of life. Percorsi Erratici is relevant to the aim of supporting embedding of responsible innovation in RIS3 by means of support to open innovation.

Expert opinion

The practice represents an attempt to gather SMEs around the open innovation concept and foster close cooperation through this process. The network’s objective of launching new start-ups involving entrepreneurial youths, with the royalty model as an interesting component, is highlighted. As noted, the primary challenge forming a network like this is to convince the business community to subscribe to the idea of open innovation – benefitting from the network also requires contributing to the network. To other regions interested in open innovation in general, or the formation of similar networks, this practice could likely provide input on lessons learned concerning the engagement of stakeholders.

Carl Arvid Dahlöf

Works at WSP

Resources needed

For the entire first working cycle (2013-2015), leading to the creation of the first start-up, human and financial resources were entirely reimbursed by the chambers of commerce for an average € 20.000,00 per year, including staff and external expertise and services.

Evidence of success

From late 2013 (i.e. the launching of the network), over 50 among workshops and operational meetings were organized, ranging from inspirational talks, knowledge transfer events, brainstoming and fine-tuning events, living labs. Over 54 ideas for possible innovations were entered in the network platform. 4 ideas reached the feasibility-check stage and 1 start-up was launched (robotics).

Potential for learning or transfer

The application of the practice requires that the concept of open innovation is present within the local business environment, although not necessarily fully developed. Also, it is necessary that the business community is interested in – if not entirely familiar with – innovation concepts related to a thinking-outside-the-box and cross-contamination approaches. Also, companies must believe competition is not just about price.
Engage with healthy companies: innovation seldom happens when companies are challenged with making ends meet.
Make sure that the human resources involved are those most apt to react to stimuli, have specific competences to contribute, can commit their company.
Involve companies of different sizes and different sectors.
Promote innovation as a business culture, not merely identified by its results, new products or services or technologies.
Keep the network open to external cooperation .