Criteria Definition and Recognition Mechanisms for Accelerated Innovation

Abstract

Lessons learned from the International Energy Agency six-year project “Co-operative Procurement”, which has just ended, show the large importance of criteria definition and creation of mechanisms for recognition of future-oriented solutions. The objectives were to establish a co-operative demand-pull procedure to bring more energy-efficient products to the marketplace and to test and draw lessons from pilot projects. Within this collaborative project, the participating eight countries have, with support also from the European Commission, defined an international procedure and possible areas for joint actions and fulfilled pilot procurement and promotion projects.

In general, theoretical research about innovation instruments on the demand side, better communication, building up of networks in fragmented areas and the creation of powerful buyer groups have been stressed as important components for successful technology procurement projects. It is, however, very time-consuming to build up new buyer groups in areas with a large degree of fragmentation. In the “Co-operative Procurement” project, it has been found that the creation of other recognition mechanisms, such as Awards with high prestige, can have a large influence on the suppliers’ decisions to concentrate development efforts in the actual area.

The first Class A clothes drier with 50 % energy reduction, industrial motors with 20–40% reduction of losses and a copier with reduction by 70–75% down to 30% are promising results. The involved project managers and experts identified 60 lessons learned from the pilot projects and these were compared with findings made by an external evaluator at a workshop.

Understanding the market as a whole and all different performance criteria, rules for procurement, competitions and the right mix of different support mechanisms, prestigious awards and an international forum, on a formal or informal basis, to enable exchange of ideas are important aspects for accelerated innovation.