Activating Regional Innovation Networks: A Value Network Approach

A new white paper has just been made available that lays out a road map for evaluating Regional Innovation and using Value Network Analysis as a method for activating regional innovation networks and the networks that support their success. This approach is being adopted by regional development agencies in Europe, Scandinavia, the U.S., and the Caribbean. Based on ground breaking work with the European Commission in 2007, the methodology has already proven powerful and effective for redirecting strategies and resources.

The basic goal of this approach is to better understand how a regional innovation value network is “activated” in different stages of innovation. Some organizations may be involved in multiple roles, and even though they may be active in more than one stage their roles may be different in different stages. Evaluating regional innovation with a value network perspective:

• Provides an expanded foundation for assessing regional innovation capacity and the effectiveness of the regional innovation system.
• Develops value network indicators to assess the health and vitality of regional innovation systems and to link innovation system behaviors to regional economic and Intellectual Capital (IC) indicators.
• Provides a powerful visual language for engaging critical stakeholders, fostering connective tissue, and improving innovation capacity at the regional level.
• Defines the requirements for continuous monitoring and evaluation of innovation regional value networks.

Also available is an academic article authored by Verna Allee and Oliver Scwabe describing the theory base for this approach