Innovation Tools Fair

INAUGURAL INNOVATION TOOLS FAIR 27 November 2009, Brussels Thirty-five participants from 17 countries gathered in Brussels on 27 November for the first ever TII Innovation Tools Fair. The formula is very straightforward: to bring owners/developers of innovation tools into contact with those who are seeking to identify tried and tested tools that can be imported or adapted for use in their own organisation. Originally it was intended to employ a speed dating format so that everyone could have the opportunity to speak to all the other delegates, but because of the popularity of the event it was later decided to invite the tool owners to make a short pitch in front of the audience, followed by individual appointments upon demand. The concept of the Tools Fair is closely related to the association’s latest new initiative to develop an Innovation Tools Wiki (see article on same page) for the benefit of the innovation support community. It also fits closely with the ambitions of the Quality Net subgroup of TII, which seeks to promote operating efficiency in ISP and technology transfer organisations. We look forward to receiving feedback from participants at the 2009 Tool Fair on any collaborative ventures which resulted from the event. We also look forward to organising another edition of the fair, possibly in conjunction with the 2010 conference in Düsseldorf or as a stand-alone event in the autumn.

INTRODUCTION Innovation support providers (ISP) face enormous pressures and challenges to provide value added services to their client companies in search of more efficient products, technologies and management practices. To help them do their job effectively, ISP rely on their own toolbox of methodologies and techniques which they develop over time. Such tools may be developed in-house, bought off-the-shelf or adapted and fine-tuned from other sources. In some cases, they may even become the trademark of the ISP. In a survey carried out at the end of 2008 amongst its members, access to innovation tools and good practice was ranked as the most important service that TII could provide in future. We have decided to respond to this need on two levels: Firstly by setting up a TII Wiki of innovation tools and secondly by initiating an Innovation Tool Fair so that ISP may share their tools and methods with colleagues on an international platform. WHAT IS THE BENEFIT? The Innovation Tools Fair will be structured along the lines of a speed dating event. That means that each participant will be able to meet all other participants and be introduced on a reciprocal basis to the tools and methods that each Innovation Service Provider (ISP) wishes to share. The objective is that over 5 hours of intensive 10-15 minute meetings each participant goes home with a number of interesting new job tools which he/she can test further. We leave it up to the participants to decide on the terms/conditions of use which they wish to offer - share basis, licence, purchase, etc. The main ambition is that each participant offers something of value and obtains something of value in exchange. WHAT IS AN INNOVATION TOOL? Tools come in many different forms; they may be audit/assessment questionnaires, check-lists, written procedures manuals, guides, processes or software programmes, etc.Their field of application will be pertinent to an area of the innovation value chain, for example: - creativity - foresight - intelligence gathering - IPR management - open innovation management - innovation/technology audits - technology assessment/commercialisation - new product/business development - start-up/spin of creation - early stage innovation finance - fiscal measures for innovation - marketing innovation - organisational change for innovation You will be invited during the Innovation Tools Fair if you wish to contribute your tool or a short presentation of it to TII's Innovation Tool Wiki which is currently under contruction. TARGET GROUP The TII Innovation Tool Fair is open to ISPs involved in innovation and technology consultancy, new company start-up support, business support services for SMEs, research-industry collaboration, research commercialisation, including spin-off creation, innovation management, the provision of infrastructure to foster innovation, e.g. high-tech incubators, etc. who are keen to acquire new tools and techniques to support them in their work and who are willing to share their own.