Research projects
KINCE research project (planned)
The Innovation Management Department at FH CAMPUS 02 is concerned with Systematic Innovation since years - especially with the development of innovation
services for small and medium-sized businesses. For these a set of methods was created to help to raise ideas and transform them into economically successful products and services. KINCE is planned to help to establish expertise in Systematic Innovation at the Innovation Management Department and to strengthen research in this field. Emphases are further development of innovation methods and tools (especially for the use in SMEs) and operationalisation of Innovation Management in businesses. The newly developed Further Intelligence approach is a way to offer technology intelligence, competitive intelligence and customer intelligence combined with methods of futurology to businesses. Research focuses contain branch-specific analysis of consumer trends and the development of future scenarios for business model development and technological roadmapping. Those are essential for a systematical analysis and early recognition of risks, as well as for proper reaction in time. KINCE therefore is essential to strengthen research in the field of Systematic Innovation and to complete support methods for SMEs. As a result there will be a set of innovation services for SMEs that covers the whole innovation process from strategic orientation, idea creation and assessment, conceptualisation and implementation of products and services to innovation controlling (evaluation and review of innovation management in a business). All these services are to be combined in an SME Innovation Center that acts as a contact and service point for SMEs to increase innovation in businesses.
Contact person:
FH-Prof. DI Dr. Michael Terler (michael.terler@campus02.at)
INNOspeed research project
Shortened technology and product life cycles force businesses today to roll out new products and services in short time. Dealing with innovation has become a key success factor. But the process of systematic idea generation, structured selection of the best from many ideas and development is crucial. For this process there are many tools and methods of Systematic Innovation offering essential support. The Innovation Management Department has know-how and experience in part-time education of this discipline. Based on this and the close contact to economy together with ZETA Biotechnik GmbH, STARMANN Metallbau GmbH and AT&S Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik AG special qualification measures were taken, that gathered qualification in businesses regarding competence extension of employees in engineering core teams in creativity techniques and TRIZ. This qualification measure targeted the practice-oriented imparting of knowledge in innovation implementation for professionals with technological background. With high qualification of key workers businesses were able to generate ideas and projects quicker, systematically evaluate, prioritize and implent them quicker. The qualification
measure was especially designed for technology-oriented businesses and additionally contained practical relevance in the form of project works. Employees were trained on the methods and tools of Systematic Innovation in three steps: "Special creativity techniques for technological development" and two for reason of didactics and economy separated blocks "Systemmatic Innovation for technological development". A specific practical project was part of the last step, so that knowledge was sustainably embedded, what lead to an added value for businesses. The new knowledge in special creativity techniques and methods of Systematic Innovation make it possible to cater to customer requirements more effectively and implement special high-tech solutions. A value added were participants from different companies, so it was possible not just to learn from trainers but from best practice examples too.
Contact person:
FH-Prof. DI Dr. Michael Terler (michael.terler@campus02.at)
FOKUS research project
The probability of success of new products and services depends strongly on orientation towards customer requirements. The sooner and more structured these requirements are included into the innovation process and development, the smaller is the flop rate on the market. A set of SME suitable methods and tools was created based on two specific use cases from experience. This included
- identification and filtering of methods and tools to integrate customers in the innovation process using criteria like benefit, resources, cost and risk optimization,
- creation of a special set of methods for SMEs by adaption, combination, improvement and further development of current methods and
- evaluation of the new methods under practical conditions by two operational examples.
As a result of FOKUS an innovation guideline was developed, that equips knowledge on the toolset to SMEs and secures it's implementation and application.
This guideline can be downloaded for free: HERE (German only)
Contact person:
FH-Prof. DI Dr. Michael Terler (michael.terler@campus02.at)
Innolab research project
A comprehensive research project, running since 2007, entitled Innolab.
Inventors and innovation drivers in successful companies are faced with the ongoing challenge of successfully introducing innovations. Difficulties, such as additional skill development due to a lack of specialist knowledge, efficient time management and cost calculations in an environment in which the industry permanently applies pressure to succeed, all need to be considered and overcome. Innolab sees itself as the first port of call for inventors and innovators looking for professional support in their personal, and sometimes difficult, invention and innovation processes. This project is supported by the City of Graz and the Styrian Chamber of Commerce and aims to offer assistance to new and potential entrepreneurs, whilst encouraging their innovations. Innolab’s clients cover the whole spectrum, ranging from private sole inventors and young entrepreneurs in the start-up phase to successful SMEs. Innolab’s service portfolio encompasses all aspects of innovation processes, from research to idea feasibility tests and from technical developments and construction to market research, marketing designs and business plans. The services on offer thereby cover the entire innovation process, from the generating of ideas to their implementation, and are exclusively carried out within the framework of teaching with the involvement of the students. Since the project was launched in November 2006, some 250 inventors have been welcomed and numerous support projects have been run. This has also constituted an important research theme for the Innovation Management Department. The process models from existing innovation management literature only ever describe the innovation process from an organisation or a company’s point of view. Based on Innolab’s data and experience, we endeavour to present individual inventors with a tailor-made innovation process. Having ascertained key factors for success, measures for supporting industrial and political inventors can be optimally defined.
Contact person:
DI (FH) Andreas Rehklau, MBA (andreas.rehklau@campus02.at)
EraSME Project IBM - Intellectual Business Management© research project
The development of a business model for the strategic supervision of intellectual property in small and medium-sized companies
In the age of the knowledge economy, the exchange of know-how is a key factor for competitiveness in an innovative environment. The business model developed within the framework of the EraSME research project aims to integrate intellectual property into the operational management of small and medium-sized businesses and to create greater awareness of immaterial assets and their significance as marketable resources. Through the implementation of the business model, these companies are supported early-on in the development and introduction of a long-term IP strategy to strengthen their competitiveness, thereby increasing their chances of using the IP market place to their advantage. Therefore, this project leads to SMEs being strengthened in an increasingly competition-intensive environment.
Contact person:
Wolfgang Knöbl, BSc MA (wolfgang.knoebl@campus02.at)
STRATIM research project
During the course of the STRATIM project – Strategic Innovation Management Project – an approach was developed geared specifically towards SMEs to enable them to carry out professional and systematic innovation management through the correct choice of tools and methods. This approach is not only limited to the generating of new products and services, since at the same time it encompasses strategic company management. At the end of the project a universally valid systematic innovation process was extremely successfully presented. This system fulfils the predefined objectives thanks to the correct choice and adaptation of methods and tools, so that with a reasonable amount of time and effort (approx. 5 team days depending on the framework requirements of the company) a plethora of strategically-conformed innovation ideas can be generated.
