Launching innovation in the market requires competences in dissemination and exploitation

Abstract

It is widely recognised that innovation is required for economic growth on a number of levels, such as in Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs), large organisations, regions and nations. Innovation is an important driver for organisational survival, sustainability, improvement, long-term productivity and economic growth. However, innovation in isolation is not only wasteful but also not useful. All projects, and in particular innovation projects, need to disseminate and exploit their results for maximising achievements and increasing sustainability after their completion. This includes launching of the innovation to market, transfer of results and best practices to different and broader contexts; potential tailoring to the needs of others; continuation after the funding period has finished; influences on policy and practice; as well as serving the public good. The emphasis should be on optimising the value of the project and on boosting its impact. Many European and other projects seem to be missing a good valorisation strategy. Projects seem to be carried out in isolation, and finish without essential impact. In addition there is a lack of skills for carrying out valorisation actions. Taking this into consideration a new certified Valorisation Expert profession was created and sponsored by the European Commission aiming to fill the gap and to train various stakeholders in launching innovative and other project results in the market. In this paper we describe the aims and the objectives of the project and the competences base the project is aiming to create through its content and teaching approach. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.