CONSTRINNONET

CONSTRINNONET

CONSTRINNONET is a construction related innovation project whose objective is to find instruments that best increase the input-output ratio of RTD in the construction sector.

One of the aims of CONSTRINNONET is to take a holistic view on how to serve the SMEs in a more straightforward manner, i.e. through the so called single-entry-point method.

The project aims to answer the following questions:
What are the mechanisms that work in getting SMEs within the construction industry to innovate faster, with less risk and with better controlled process from the idea stage to successful implementation in the market place, and how can these mechanisms be spread and used as public instruments in Europe?

The work will operate through two forums:
An Innovation Forum concerning innovation studies and an Interaction Forum involving special interest groups and companies.

CONSTRINNONET will first study the mechanisms behind successful innovation and develop strategies to help transfer these into practice. The aim is to:

• provide a state-of-the-art knowledge base
• develop new instruments for managing technology development work to take into account the aims of SME-businesses as well as end-users
• create new procedures in sharing risks and benefits of development work on company and even on building project level

CONSTRINNONET will secondly examine how various service providers in the market can assist in spreading these mechanisms to construction SMEs. The aim is to:

• · find best procedures and practices in providing assistance to companies and promote the process of taking the practices into use
• · enhance exchange of information between CRAFT and other projects and clusters of construction industry related 5th and 6th Framework Programme projects, ensuring the complementarity to various activities as well as benefits of synergy
• · benchmark these activities among European companies in order to share knowledge of successes

Reducing the gab between everyday life and European RTD programmes
While the main scientific challenge of the CONSTRINNONET is to get a generic view of the innovation process of the construction and facilities management industry at European level, the gap between the everyday life of a SME manager and the European RTD programmes can still remain enormous! For this reason, CONSTRINNONET aims to reduce this gap by testing methods and collecting feedback from the industry during the project.

One of the key factors determining the ability of SMEs to innovate is the capacity to manage the innovation process. Within this process, the skills to effectively organise the firm and its network for innovation, as well as to absorb and utilise the necessary information, is crucial.

If the Interaction Forum activities of CONSTRINNONET can also demonstrate that a specific delivery of training to manage innovation is effective in lowering the threshold for SMEs to start to innovate, then it will have made a significant advance toward the ultimate goal.

Last updated: 2004-10-28