Strategic Intelligence Platforms and Technology Watch in Companies

Strategic Intelligence Platforms and Technology Watch in Companies Current situation and perspectives in the Region of Murcia (Spain)

Enterprises’ Current Aproach • There is not formalised process of Technology Watch and Strategic Intelligence (TW & SI) in the vast majority of the companies – There is NOT an special department, with personnel and resources – There is NOT a previous identification of the critical factors that should be watched • But ALL of the companies made a kind of “home made” TW & SI – The companies watch competitors & clients carefully. They also take into account regulations (laws), markets, inputs (machinery and raw materials) – The main sources are: trade fairs and specialized magazines – Other sources: companies associations, providers, internet, etc.

Special characteristics of the Companies in Murcia (I) • Internationalisation: worldwide competition What they look at? – They produce commodities (furniture, food, natural stone, metalmechanics, plastics, etc. ) with low added value – Transport costs are increasingly cheaper, so there are competitors from all over the world – The companies have clients, providers and competitors from many different locations (countries) an that are currently taking them into account • Weak Technology approach Who? – Still very low investment in R&D (below 1% of GDP) where the private share is about 50% – There are not many engineers, scientist or technologu dedicated pesonnel in the companies – The Technology Watch and Strategic Intelligence unformalised tasks are carried out by the manager and the marketing or sales staff. This implies strong dificulties on a technology based watch

Special characteristics of the Companies in Murcia (II) • Conventional software Tools – The companies do not have special tools for TW & SI, just the email to send messages to colleagues of the same companies and in some big companies there is a common server. • Staff training Knowledge on the heads of the staff of the companies – There are not strong technical associations – Continuos trainning is less than 25%, one of the weakest in Europe – Technical based personnel contracting and/or mobility is not a common source to improve the knowledge of the company

PSIP – Platforms and Providers of Information in the Region of Murcia • Industrial Associations of Companies: Prices, Regulations, Grants and subsidies • Chambers of Commerce: markets – INFO has a strong platform of providing information on this topic that could be seen in http: //www. impulsoexterior. com • Regional Devleopment Agency (INFO): Grants and subsidies – It is also part of the European Innovation Relay Center Network (IRC) with a platform that could be seen in http: //www. cenemes. es • Technology Centers: new technologies, regulations – On its web page there are information resources, e-mail alerts – Magazines – Workshops, trainning courses to its associated companies

Current & Future projects • Stratinc: – Pilot platform to be extended to other Technology Centers • INFO: – Platform focused on innovation management and partners • Technology Centers – Improve the existing platform, Cecotec. com in the framework • Automatization of repetitive tesks • Introduction of analysis tools (? )

Lessons learned • GOOD THINGS – It is good to have a JAVA approach with a strong database behind (ORACLE) – We have been able to establish a common repository of information for all the Technology Centers at the same time • PLEASE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT… – It is better to Use / Buy / Copy EXISTING Platforms • – It is dificult to design a common platform for DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONS • – We hope to provide a more valued service once it would work more satisfactorily Technology Watch and Strategic Intelligence is not only a product to be supplied to the associated companies to a Technology Center • – Better to use pilot approach and extend to the rest of the partners There is a WEAK INTEREST of the companies on TW & SI services • – Dificulties on defining and setting-up tools These tools should be used also INTERNALLY, I want to mean, inside of a Technology Center by its experts and technologies for their daily work Languages understanding dificulties is still an issue that shoul be taken into account • Contents in English or French will not be widely used, as for example the ISI Web of Knowledge