Innovation Europe > News > Innovation EU Vol1-1 > PRO INNO Europe®

PRO INNO Europe® was designed to foster trans-European co-operation between national and regional innovation programmes and actions, under the Research and Innovation section of the Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Development (FP6) and currently under the CIP/EIP.

The initiative will become the focal point of innovation policy analysis and development throughout Europe and unites the previously separate PAXIS initiative, the TrendChart on Innovation in Europe, including the European Innovation Scoreboard, and the previous series of innovation policy studies in a common framework. Existing policy analysis and benchmarking activities will be integrated with new incentives for trans-national co-operation, innovation actions and policy learning methods.

PRO INNO Europe® stands for “promoting innovation in Europe” and is particularly addressing publicly funded innovation policy initiatives and public-private partnerships supporting innovation. It aims to facilitate trans-European co-operation among national and/or sub-national innovation programmes, as well as provide incentives for joint actions.

While it concentrates on the overall analysis of innovation performance and innovation policies, and provides a learning platform for transnational co-operation, the Innovating Regions in Europe (IRE) network will be used as the main communication channel with European regions on innovation policy matters.

There is a close liaison between PRO INNO Europe® and the Europe INNOVA initiative, for example through the bi-annual Europe INNOVA Conference. The idea is that the lessons learned from the Europe INNOVA projects will be used to add input into the development of new innovation policies and strategies.

Structure

PRO INNO Europe® is based on three pillars that accommodate a total of eight modules. Each of these follows a specific key aim of the initiative. Although these actions are different in nature, they form part of a wider integrated policy approach intended to develop new and better innovation policies based on sound policy analysis and reliable statistics. This will prepare the ground for innovation actions covering the whole range of policy aspects and involving a multitude of different actors.

POLICY ANALYSIS

Inno-Metrics

Innovation is a key factor to determine productivity growth. INNO-Metrics aims to understand the sources and patterns of innovative activity in the economy, which is fundamental to devloping better policies.

INNO-Metrics is currently composed of two instruments, the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) and the Innobarometer. The EIS attempts to benchmark, on a yearly basis, the innovation performance of member states, drawing on statistics from a variety of sources, primarily the Community Innovation Survey.

The Innobarometer complements the results of the EIS by analysing specific aspects of innovation through a survey of 3,500 randomly selected companies throughout the EU.

INNO-Policy Trend Chart

The INNO-Policy TrendChart independently describes and analyses major innovation policy trends at national and regional levels across Europe. It aims to contribute to policy assessment and to identify examples of good practice, thus improving the basis for decision-making in innovation policy. A policy monitoring network tracks developments in innovation policy measures in 39 countries. The information collected by this network is used to run and maintain an inventory of innovation policy information and policy measures, and also feeds into annual country reports and an annual European Innovation Progress Report.

INNO-Appraisal

INNO-Appraisal takes stock of and assesses appraisal exercises such as evaluations, monitoring, benchmarking, and peer review in innovation policy across Europe. It does this:

• By collecting reports of appraisals of innovation policy measures in the EU
• By analysing these appraisals;
• By drawing lessons on evaluation practices and methods across Europe
• By assessing the usage of appraisals in policy-making
• By defining good practice in innovation policy-making along the policy cycle.

This analysis enables an in-depth look at evaluation culture in Europe, about which methods are used in what contexts, which practices are perceived as being the most appropriate for policy-makers, and so forth.

Inno-Grips

The aim of INNO-Grips is to provide an accessible pool of knowledge regarding worldwide existing studies and information on innovation policy-making, business innovation and academic discussions. It also provides a platform for open discussion among experts on relevant innovation policy and business issues, with the aim of fostering intellectual debate and providing a workshop setting for future developments. This contributes to building an “early-warning” system for policymakers to facilitate the timely adoption of appropriate policy responses.

Key INNO-Grips activities are research, analysis, consultation and dissemination activities involving the Commission, researchers and other important stakeholders in the innovation process. Key topics are high-growth companies; design and user-centred innovation; globalisation, internationalisation and innovation; education and culture; and innovation for development

POLICY LEARNING

INNO-Views

The INNO-Views project explores new or better innovation policy instruments by establishing a dialogue between public authorities, analysts, industry and academia on innovation policy matters. It organises four workshops per year to explore new and emerging innovation themes related to the actual and forthcoming needs of European innovation policies. They bring together 25-30 relevant professionals and are organised on the basis of personal invitations only.

INNO-Views aims to bridge the gaps between innovation policy analysis, policy learning and dissemination and transfer of good practices in innovation policy.

Inno-Learning Platform

The INNO-Learning Platform intends to promote transnational innovation policy co-operation across Europe. There is a huge diversity of policy measures that support innovation in Europe, which reflect the diversity of framework conditions, cultural differences and political priorities in the member states.

It is organised in three Learning Cycles. The initiative consists of the Learning Platform Consortium, the INNO-Learning Steering Group and a set of exploratory teams and thematic task forces carrying out the analytical work during the different phases of the Learning Cycles.

POLICY DEVELOPMENT

INNO-Nets

The INNO-Nets focus on cluster policy co-operation, support to knowledge-based SMEs and start-ups, transnational knowledge valorisation, the links of industry and research, and innovation in services. The four INNONets focusing on cluster policy co-operation form the European Cluster Alliance, bringing together 55 regions.

INNO-Actions

Under the INNO-Actions, joint actions are developed and implemented in early stage investment, technology transfer in clusters, promotion of an innovative society, IPR and opening international markets for SMEs. There is also an award for design management. The objective is to provide incentives for joint actions of different innovation agencies and other not-for-profit organisations in areas relevant to innovation policy.

For more information, visit: www.proinno-europe.eu