336/2017 an Attractive Innovation Environment
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
An attractive innovation REVIEW 335/2017 REVIEW environment Johan Wallin, Patrik Laxell, Jan Fagerberg and Takahiro Fujimoto Tekes Report 1/2015 Helsinki 2015 2 Johan Wallin, Patrik Laxell, Jan Fagerberg and Takahiro Fujimoto An attractive innovation environment Tekes Review 335/2017 Helsinki 2017 3 Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation Tekes is the main public funding organisation for research, development and innovation in Finland. Tekes funds wide-ranging innovation activities in research communities, industry and service sectors and especially promotes cooperative and risk-intensive projects. Tekes’ current strategy puts strong emphasis on growth seeking SMEs. Tekes programmes – Tekes´ choices for the greatest impact of R&D funding Tekes uses programmes to allocate its financing, networking and expert services to areas that are important for business and society. Tekes programmes have been contributing to changes in the Finnish innovation environment over twenty years. Copyright Tekes 2017. All rights reserved. This publication includes materials protected under copyright law, the copyright for which is held by Tekes or a third party. The materials appearing in publications may not be used for commercial purposes. The contents of publications are the opinion of the writers and do not represent the official position of Tekes. Tekes bears no responsibility for any possible damages arising from their use. The original source must be mentioned when quoting from the materials. ISSN 1797-7339 ISBN 978-952-457-627-0 Cover photo Fotolia Page layout: DTPage Oy 4 Foreword Finnish wellbeing is based on the wealth and jobs created by the success of Finnish com- panies on the global market. In terms of wellbeing, Finland ranks among the top countries according to several different indicators. We have several strengths in our innovation environment such as strong competence, good cooperation between businesses and researchers, good networks and well-functioning infrastructure. Our solid ICT expertise is valued the worldwide. The Finnish business sector had been adapting successfully to global competition until the recession in 2009. Finland is a small open economy and international attractiveness of our innovation environment is a key objective. This requires well-functioning innovation system but also other factors such as comprehensive reassessment of regulation and taxation, and a change in attitudes. Moreover, the Finnish entrepreneurship should take more actively part to the global value chains in order to boost successive growth. It has been agreed between Tekes and the Ministry of Employment and the Economy (TEM) that Tekes impact and the achievement of objectives will primarily be monitored through impact analyses and studies of individual target areas. Tekes has two main target areas, which are 1) Globally competitive business and industry; 2) Attractive innovation envi- ronment. Assessments implemented in each target area and impact studies presenting their results comprise the actual and official method for monitoring Tekes success and impact. The purpose of this study was to produce a combined forward-looking evaluation analysis of how Tekes and Team Finland collaborators with Tekes will succeed in reaching its objectives related to goals of the attractive innovation environment. However, several ex post evaluation insights should be used to measure already produced results and impacts. Second goal of the study was to take a perspective of those factors of innovation environ- ment that are essential to the Finnish economy and society to become attractive at the top level internationally. This study was carried out by Synocus Oy. Tekes wishes to thank the writers for their thorough and systematic approach. Tekes expresses its gratitude to steering group and all others that have contributed to the study. Helsinki, March 2017 Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation 5 Table of contents Foreword .........................................................................................................................................................................................5 Executive summary ..............................................................................................................................................................8 Tiivistelmä suomeksi ....................................................................................................................................................... 10 Osa I Innovaatioympäristöt ......................................................................................................................... 11 Mitkä ovat houkuttelevan innovaatioympäristön päätekijät? ....................................................... 11 Case-tutkimukset ............................................................................................................................................................ 14 Osa II Suomalaisen innovaatioympäristön arviointi ........................................................... 16 Arvioinnin yhteenveto ................................................................................................................................................ 17 Osa III Suositukset ................................................................................................................................................. 18 Part I Innovation environments ........................................................................................................................ 21 What are the main factors of an attractive innovation environment?...................................... 21 What are the success and failure factors of the Finnish innovation environment? ........ 25 How have RDI investment decisions been made between small advanced countries in Europe? Why have international/Finnish companies chosen Finland or some other innovation environment in Europe? ........................................................... 26 What are the main governmental-level policy targets and measures for the Finnish innovation environment over the next five years? ..................................................... 28 What is a national innovation environment’s role when business models and platforms are global? ......................................................................................................................................... 29 The Lean National Innovation System ............................................................................................................. 30 Part II Evaluation of the Finnish innovation environment .................................................... 32 How can we characterize Finland as an example of the European paradox? ..................... 34 Meta-analysis ........................................................................................................................................................... 34 Observations from the field ............................................................................................................................ 35 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................................................. 36 How has the steering in the Finnish innovation environment progressed, and what has been the role of Tekes in this? .............................................................................................. 36 Meta-analysis ........................................................................................................................................................... 36 Observations from the field ............................................................................................................................ 38 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................................................. 38 How has prioritization in the Finnish innovation environment been carried out, and what has Tekes’s role been here? .............................................................................................................. 38 Meta-analysis ........................................................................................................................................................... 38 Observations from the field ............................................................................................................................ 40 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................................................. 41 How have government resources been allocated for prioritized innovation areas and what role has Tekes played here? ................................................................................................ 42 Meta-analysis ........................................................................................................................................................... 42 Observations from the field ............................................................................................................................ 44 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................................................. 44 How has governmental capability building taken place in the Finnish innovation environment, and what has Tekes’s