What is sustainable Innovation in the construction sector and how it's possible to promote sustainable innovation for SMEs?
Location: IDM South Tyrol / Bolzano / Italy
"Under Construction" is a method developed by EURAC, Institute for Renewable Energy and the Cluster Construction of TIS (now IDM Ecosystem Construction) to facilitate technology transfer and innovation, building a bridge between Research and business. The method was developed in 2011 in «Enerbuild» Alpine Space project.
Since 2011, this method for IDM is an important accelerator for systematic product development between SMEs and researchers in the Ecosystem building. 2015 the sixth edition of Under Construction took place.
Each Under Construction is linked to a specific innovation topic (construction sector). With an innovation call IDM invite interested companies from the construction industry to join the innovation school and to bring in their innovative projects (up to max. 5 companies). Another competition is open to research and university graduates - with the aim that every company participating in Under Construction gets a highly qualified research and development team to the side.
After the companies and the research team have been found, Under Construction starts with the following process:
1. Innovation Workshop: high-level training modules on topics related to Under Construction
2. Field Workshop at the company assigned: Two weeks of intensive collaboration between researchers and company: the innovation teams (each consisting of four experts) will be hosted in the respective company and support by a tutor. The goal of the Field Workshop: development of a prototype or a new business idea.
Output & costs: the six editions of Under Construction so far have developed about 24 prototypes or new business ideas - 3 of them are already in implementation. the cost is about 3000 euros for each company - co-financed by the Innovation Voucher from public site.
Key success factors: Interactive project team of research (expertise) and companies (market) work under schedule on concrete product developments.
