Summary The innovation system for the Dutch greenhouse sector in 2020: marketdriven innovation strategies Kishna, M. et al, Innovation Studies Group Utrecht, Utrecht University InnovationNetwork Report no. 11.2.275, Utrecht, The Netherlands, 2011 The Dutch greenhouse sector is renowned for its innovativeness. An earlier analysis showed that the entrepreneurs within the sector concentrate mainly on process innovations (InnovationNetwork/SIGN, 2010). A process innovation involves the implementation of a new or strongly improved production method. This focus on process innovations is typical for mature sectors and often goes hand in hand with cost competition and low profit margins. Together with the growing competition from abroad, this focus on process innovations poses a threat to the economic vibrancy of the Dutch greenhouse sector. Earlier research suggests that more market-driven innovation strategies could help to reinforce the sector. However, one crucial condition for the success of these market-driven innovation strategies is the development of an innovation climate that supports the entrepreneurs utilizing these strategies. InnovationNetwork and SIGN have set themselves the objective of improving the innovation climate and overcoming institutional barriers in the Dutch greenhouse sector. Entrepreneurs innovate within the context of an innovation system. The greenhouse innovation system consists of all actors and organizations, as well as all rules and instruments that contribute directly or indirectly to the sector’s innovative capability. Examples of actors and organizations are greenhouse growers, suppliers, supermarkets, banks and greenhouse grower organizations. Examples of regulations and instruments are subsidy schemes, rules governing the trade in vegetables and crops, but also the culture and customs within the sector in a broader sense. The interaction between all actors and rules determines the failure and success of innovation processes. The existing innovation system of the greenhouse sector is very much focused on process innovations, while market-driven innovations receive too little support and attention. An improvement in the innovation climate can lead to better support for market-driven innovations and thus contribute towards the sector’s longterm economic vibrancy. The innovation system must therefore be adjusted to give better support to market-driven innovations. In this report, we try to identify exactly what changes are required by answering the central question: How can the innovation system of the Dutch greenhouse sector support market-driven innovation strategies? The analysis in this report is based on interviews with innovative entrepreneurs who are currently leading the way: they have already succeeded in making market-driven innovations in the context of an innovation system that predominantly supports process innovation. The interviews led to the identification of the following barriers for market-driven innovation in the existing innovation system: 1) resistance from the existing chain, 2) lack 25 Pagina 31
Pagina 33Interactieve digitale nieuwsbrief, deze club blad of presentatie is levensecht online geplaatst met Online Touch en bied het online bladerbaar uitgeven van web onderzoeksrapporten.
487 Lees publicatie 175Home