PARTENARIATS D INNOVATION Quelles stratégies partenariales pour l action R&DI de la filière-vin? PARTNERSHIPS for INNOVATION Which partnership strategies for R&DI projects in the wine sector?
Moteurs et contraintes de la mise en œuvre de partenariats d innovation Instigators and inhibitors in the conception of collaborative research projects Peter Hayes
Historical Circumstance Traditional Agricultural base and local norms Ownership structure; often many interests Product and processes; limited innovation Sunk investment, low profitability, limited funds SME status; limited potential to invest, especially with risk of spill-overs to others Reliance on public investment albeit with poor engagement re priorities and approaches; risk much greater in current economic situation
Industry and Business Leadership Little actionable public analysis of industry problems, imperatives, possibilities (SWOT) Where analysis has been undertaken, deep engagement with industry seems limited so neither consensus or commitment is assured Role of R&D + I poorly recognised and weakly deployed Recruited late and in order to fix problems Not used to scope, identify and prioritise scope or potential Plenty of published knowledge and publicity,; e.g. most recently, INFOWINE Internet Journal of Viticulture and Enology
Management Attitude & Style Executive/managers tend to Run, not necessarily develop the business Focus on short to, possibly, middle term issues Apply funds to problems and, often, poorly scoped or prioritised opportunities; get out of one rut into another Seek packaged solutions ; often external sourced Lack confidence or knowledge re technical matters Be risk, delegation and change averse especially outside their core competence and experience
Industry Management and Operators Avoid change, justified as Minimising risk to supply quantum or quality/style Preserving/maintaining tradition Minimising/avoiding expense Preferring cost reduction rather than margin adding (limits!) Preferring fund allocation to shorter-term, supposed higher ROI marketing and sales---often without ex-ante or ex-post evidence! Minimising risk in already uncertain policy or economic times Poorly anticipate or respond to significant change in Biophysical climate and resource demands Public policy settings Supply change and customer demands Consumer demographics Competitor behaviour and influence; everyone can have quality!
Fundamentally---- Industry has difficulty in defining or articulating priority needs; they can & do define research interests Researchers propose solutions from their research but rarely (?) in a whole system, innovation context Real world needs are complex and often demand multi-discipline approaches How then to integrate interests and achieve better focus?
Establishing an Innovative Attitude and Culture As a foundation for improved Products, Processes, Profits, Public accountability and legitimacy Policy response and Influence Respecting and deploying history and tradition but recognising today s tradition was yesterday s successful innovation Role for Open Innovation - requires engagementindustry, institutions, suppliers and service agents including external parties! Cultivate industry capacity to identify and prioritise need and opportunity---not so much prescribing research topics
Some Proposals for Consideration Can we identify themes for collective, pre-competitive action (co-action) yet preserve academic challenge and credibility? A number of institutional collaborations already developed or in development-how to do industryinstitutional arrangements? Have we already case studies of leadership and action? e.g. Torres; climate change, site adaptation, energy; how could these be extended? Today s Experience? Could seed funding be secured to stimulate issues scoping and innovation leadership to Identify action themes and approaches conjointly between industry and research agencies Model and test extension and innovation/adaptation?
How to Progress the Development of Innovation in Business? Targeting Outcomes-designing, engineering and implementing programs for specific outcomes----- not simply discovery, which remains important! Developing engagement processes and facilitating programme or project development Assigning planning, coordination and management resources; do ne relegate this to expensive overheads status! Establishing agreed objectives, risk profile schedules etc.-----
GWRDC PRIMARY LIST OF COMMON PRIORITY TOPICS 2011-these do not address industry benefit Climatic Change Molecular Biology Grapevine Diseases Market Evolution Aromas and Faults Biosecurity Wine and Health Advanced Chemical Analysis
Range of Themes -Beyond the Usual Suspects! Modelling Sector and Category Supply-Demand and Margin Germplasm Innovation and Adaptation Distinctiveness and consumer appeal; is regionality real? Whole production and supply chain optimisation; efficiency, cost, quality, environmental impacts etc. etc. New Products----?
Some Homework Reinventing R&D in an Open Innovation Ecosystem Helmut Traitler, Heribert J. Watzke, and I. Sam Saguy Journal of Food Science; Volume 76, Issue 2, pages R62 R68, March 2011 Wiley Online Library