Innovation policy in services: The development of knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) in Finland.

institute of the

regional

polytechnic Northern The regional The regional Regional Savo polytechnic council innovation

strategy

On-going

Studies conducted activities

for the mapping (planned

of development activities Region needs in parentheses) Tampere The first Promoting the use

regional KIBS of regional KIBS,

study in Finland. a KIBS incubator,

Revealed that special efforts

engineering for the

services dominate development of IT

the sector in the services,

region. A later support for KIBS

update and research at

foresight study. universities. Helsinki A regional KIBS A pilot project

study focusing on for the

the use of KIBS development of

in emerging commodification

business areas. in KIBS, 'KIBS

Revealed the centre'

difficulties of supporting the

newly established birth and mutual

small firms in learning of KIBS.

the use of

external

services. Southern A KIBS study Promotion of Ostro- which focused networking bothnia on service needs between KIBS and

in the region's clients (also

most important across the

industrial regional

sectors. boundaries),

Confirmed the familiarising

need for network small clients

building and with the use of

highlighted the KIBS, provision

role of of consultancy

intermediary services missing

organisations. in the region. Northern A regional study (Stimulating Savo of innovation demand for KIBS;

activities in supporting

small KIBS. commodification,

Revealed that the networking and e-

focus was on business in

small KIBS; linking

improvements KIBS to the

inside firms, not regional

on the innovation

development of system and to the

market relations development of

and networking or regional

on the more clusters.)

demanding renewal

of services.