Periodic Reporting for period 2 - inDemand-RCT (Demand-driven and business co-creation for a new innovation business model)
Período documentado: 2021-06-01 hasta 2023-05-31
The indemand-RCT Project entails performing a Random Control Trial (RCT) to check the efficacy of a new innovation support model for SMEs (inDemand model, innovation driven by demand). Indemand-RCT aims to cover the needs for R&D, digitization and response to Covid-19 identified by LARGE COMPANIES in the Region of Murcia. These companies’ challenges have been compared with inDemand support (co-creation + business support) versus the research of the SMEs to the needs identified without that support. The project was carried out in Murcia region, but the results has been widely disseminated to other regions of Europe.
The main objective of the project has been to compare the inDemand model with Business Co-Creation and Support with the inDemand method without these support services.
The call consisted of some 13 technological challenges. SMEs of any Member State of the EU or H2020 associated country was entitled to express interest and apply for providing digital solutions to those challenges. SMEs accepted for the experimentation after the selection process was randomly inserted in one of the two working groups per challenges.
• 13 business challenges from real challengers of the Region of Murcia have been the subject of innovative development by Spanish, German, Italian and Israeli SMEs. Com-panies are charged to find the best technological solutions to these challenges.
• Under the double formula: intervention group and control group, solver SMEs were as-signed ALEATORY FORM to these groups in February 2022
• Until November 2022, SMEs have been working on the best solution to the challenges under the formula of a challenge sheet and encouragement to co-creation (intervention group) or simply with the challenge sheet.
• An expert hired by the project has tutored the co-creation process for the companies randomly hosted in the intervention group
• The activity reports on the proposed solutions have culminated the process of open in-novation, giving way to the assessment by the challengers of the best solution found and the possibility of implementing such a technological solution to the challenge posed.
• A qualitative analysis carried out by an expert hired by the project has concluded the process by providing the assessment of the degree of satisfaction of the project for the participating companies
• A final evaluation of the adequate performance of the RCT experimentation as well as the main findings obtained by INFO Murcia have closed the project.
• In May 2023, two communication events were held to disseminate the results of the project: one in the Region of Murcia and another virtual at an international level.
The main objective of the project has been to compare the inDemand model with Business Co-Creation and Support with the inDemand method without these support services.
The call consisted of some 13 technological challenges. SMEs of any Member State of the EU or H2020 associated country was entitled to express interest and apply for providing digital solutions to those challenges. SMEs accepted for the experimentation after the selection process was randomly inserted in one of the two working groups per challenges.
• 13 business challenges from real challengers of the Region of Murcia have been the subject of innovative development by Spanish, German, Italian and Israeli SMEs. Com-panies are charged to find the best technological solutions to these challenges.
• Under the double formula: intervention group and control group, solver SMEs were as-signed ALEATORY FORM to these groups in February 2022
• Until November 2022, SMEs have been working on the best solution to the challenges under the formula of a challenge sheet and encouragement to co-creation (intervention group) or simply with the challenge sheet.
• An expert hired by the project has tutored the co-creation process for the companies randomly hosted in the intervention group
• The activity reports on the proposed solutions have culminated the process of open in-novation, giving way to the assessment by the challengers of the best solution found and the possibility of implementing such a technological solution to the challenge posed.
• A qualitative analysis carried out by an expert hired by the project has concluded the process by providing the assessment of the degree of satisfaction of the project for the participating companies
• A final evaluation of the adequate performance of the RCT experimentation as well as the main findings obtained by INFO Murcia have closed the project.
• In May 2023, two communication events were held to disseminate the results of the project: one in the Region of Murcia and another virtual at an international level.
The project has consisted in the development of the following work packages:
WP 1: Fine tuning in the design of the Randomized Control Trial. In this WP the final version of the methodology has been discussed internally by INFO, the external colaborators and a consensus was achieved with NESTA and EASME.
WP2 Funder call management. In this WP:
- the Challenges identification was completed, with the identification of the Challenges by the large-tractor companies.
- The call for SMEs was published on 09-20-2021.Initially
- The call was disseminated. Finally, 12+4 candidates have presented their candidatures themselves.
- Evaluation and granting collection. Finally 13 SMEs will be included in the RCT under the double formula: intervention group and control group.
WP3 Running of the policy measures and measure of the impact. In this WP
- The methodological approach to deliver the business support (policy measure) was designed.
- The business support was delivered to SMEs.
- A qualitative analysis carried out by an expert hired by the project has concluded the process by providing the assessment of the degree of satisfaction of the project for the participating companies
- A final evaluation of the adequate performance of the RCT experimentation as well as the major findings obtained by INFO Murcia are to close up the project.
WP4 Dissemination and Communication activities. The webpage has been developed, and several workshops has been organised to promote the project. Two communication events for dissemination of project results will take place in May 2023: one in the region of Murcia and another virtual internationally.
WP5 Management has been also active since the beginning of the project. Coordination meetings have been held. Additionally, conferences with NESTA and the European Agency has been also celebrated
Finally, WP6 has been carried out. The deliverables concerning ethical issues were submitted and approved by the Agency.
WP 1: Fine tuning in the design of the Randomized Control Trial. In this WP the final version of the methodology has been discussed internally by INFO, the external colaborators and a consensus was achieved with NESTA and EASME.
WP2 Funder call management. In this WP:
- the Challenges identification was completed, with the identification of the Challenges by the large-tractor companies.
- The call for SMEs was published on 09-20-2021.Initially
- The call was disseminated. Finally, 12+4 candidates have presented their candidatures themselves.
- Evaluation and granting collection. Finally 13 SMEs will be included in the RCT under the double formula: intervention group and control group.
WP3 Running of the policy measures and measure of the impact. In this WP
- The methodological approach to deliver the business support (policy measure) was designed.
- The business support was delivered to SMEs.
- A qualitative analysis carried out by an expert hired by the project has concluded the process by providing the assessment of the degree of satisfaction of the project for the participating companies
- A final evaluation of the adequate performance of the RCT experimentation as well as the major findings obtained by INFO Murcia are to close up the project.
WP4 Dissemination and Communication activities. The webpage has been developed, and several workshops has been organised to promote the project. Two communication events for dissemination of project results will take place in May 2023: one in the region of Murcia and another virtual internationally.
WP5 Management has been also active since the beginning of the project. Coordination meetings have been held. Additionally, conferences with NESTA and the European Agency has been also celebrated
Finally, WP6 has been carried out. The deliverables concerning ethical issues were submitted and approved by the Agency.
RCTs can provide important information to policy-makers tasked with allocating resources to different interventions.INFO responsible for inDemand intervention and concerned with ensuring their programmes continue to attract funding has a keen interest in promoting inDemand RCT in order to show the new programme provide value for money and yield measureable benefits to participants, as well as to society as a whole.
This a collection of insight that could be acted upon by INFO. They might also of interest for the European Commission as promoter of the inDemand RCT project.
LESSONS LEARNT
1. Compared with the inDemand co-creation exercise, the interactions were much more fluid with private Challengers than with public ones.
2. Solvers grasp very well what the challenge is about. Selecting solvers that have experience on the topic enables a fast solution creation.
3. Most of the issues in the team relationship had to do with the difficulty of access to the Challenger contact point by the Solver.
4. Some challengers changed the focus/scope of their challenges during execution. This is not necessarily bad but frustrates Solvers and delays the solution development.
5. Solvers are way more pro-active than Challengers. They clearly see the commercial potential of the opportunity and grasp it very quickly.
6. Some challenger management teams lack innovation experience, but this is not an issue. Lack of response or long cycles of feedback is a much worse barrier.
7. This would match quite well with respect to the role of technological specialisation during the process and the understanding of the purpose of the cocreation related to the stated challenge.
8. Other aspects of improvement relating to the role of INFO arising from interviews with challengers and solvers and controls would be the perception of excessive bureaucracy in the process
9. As for the perception of the co- creation process of creating solutions to the challenges, the perception between challengers and solver in relation to the co-creation process and the solutions generated has been very positive.
10. In terms of negative aspects, improvement and challenges or difficulties, the challengers pointed out the need to improve economic aspects and financial management, while the solvers raised the need to improve the financial endowment
11. In positive terms, both from the solver and from the challenger, the positive perception of the co-creation carried out and of this procedure for its implications in efficiency, adaptability and replicability of both the model and the product would be noteworthy.
This a collection of insight that could be acted upon by INFO. They might also of interest for the European Commission as promoter of the inDemand RCT project.
LESSONS LEARNT
1. Compared with the inDemand co-creation exercise, the interactions were much more fluid with private Challengers than with public ones.
2. Solvers grasp very well what the challenge is about. Selecting solvers that have experience on the topic enables a fast solution creation.
3. Most of the issues in the team relationship had to do with the difficulty of access to the Challenger contact point by the Solver.
4. Some challengers changed the focus/scope of their challenges during execution. This is not necessarily bad but frustrates Solvers and delays the solution development.
5. Solvers are way more pro-active than Challengers. They clearly see the commercial potential of the opportunity and grasp it very quickly.
6. Some challenger management teams lack innovation experience, but this is not an issue. Lack of response or long cycles of feedback is a much worse barrier.
7. This would match quite well with respect to the role of technological specialisation during the process and the understanding of the purpose of the cocreation related to the stated challenge.
8. Other aspects of improvement relating to the role of INFO arising from interviews with challengers and solvers and controls would be the perception of excessive bureaucracy in the process
9. As for the perception of the co- creation process of creating solutions to the challenges, the perception between challengers and solver in relation to the co-creation process and the solutions generated has been very positive.
10. In terms of negative aspects, improvement and challenges or difficulties, the challengers pointed out the need to improve economic aspects and financial management, while the solvers raised the need to improve the financial endowment
11. In positive terms, both from the solver and from the challenger, the positive perception of the co-creation carried out and of this procedure for its implications in efficiency, adaptability and replicability of both the model and the product would be noteworthy.