Zentrum für Innovation und Technik in NRW 3. COCOM Meeting Thessaloniki, 7 & 8 September 2004 STRATINC – Strategic Intelligence Strategic Intelligence and Innovative Clusters COCOM 3 in Thessaloniki 7.& Susanne Jakobs, Michael Guth, Zenit GmbH Sectoral Situation in North-Rhine Westphalia regarding New Materials STRATIN.C.

Zentrum für Innovation und Technik in NRW 3. COCOM Meeting Thessaloniki, 7 & 8 September New Materials STRATIN.C. Some Facts In total companies within the sector of New Materials in NRW This represents 26% of all German suppliers Categories of New Materials Polymer Industry Metal Material and Metal Research Textile Sector

Zentrum für Innovation und Technik in NRW 3. COCOM Meeting Thessaloniki, 7 & 8 September The Survey STRATIN.C. NeMa (Interest Association New Materials in NRW) established in 1998 has grown to a compound network of more than 85 companies and research institutes for material technology NeMa became an attractive and flexible marketing service provider and allows the members to concentrate on their research-, development- and construction competence Two-stage Interview Phase Fax Inquiry ~ 26 Fax Responses Telephone Inquiry ~ 16 Telephone Interviews

Zentrum für Innovation und Technik in NRW 3. COCOM Meeting Thessaloniki, 7 & 8 September STRATIN.C. Outcomes Fax Inquiry (1/4) Sector Plastic sector represents the highest density (not representative for NRW) Size 75% SME with less than 250 employees 50% SME still with less than 50 employees Technical Infrastructure Mainly DSL Knowledge-Management Applications not that common in use Need of assistance within identification of suitable information sources

Zentrum für Innovation und Technik in NRW 3. COCOM Meeting Thessaloniki, 7 & 8 September STRATIN.C. Outcomes Fax Inquiry (2/4) Regions Highest density are in the Post Code Areas 45, 50, 51 and 58

Zentrum für Innovation und Technik in NRW 3. COCOM Meeting Thessaloniki, 7 & 8 September STRATIN.C. Outcomes Fax Inquiry (3/4) Information Sources

Zentrum für Innovation und Technik in NRW 3. COCOM Meeting Thessaloniki, 7 & 8 September STRATIN.C. Outcomes Fax Inquiry (4/4) Reasons for Participation in Networking A: Discovering new markets B: Creation of synergies by means of competence grouping C: Diminution of R&D expenditure D: Building up a lobby E: Permanent benchmarking F: Diminution of purchase expenditure G: Amelioration of the regional image and strengthening the own location H: others

Zentrum für Innovation und Technik in NRW 3. COCOM Meeting Thessaloniki, 7 & 8 September STRATIN.C. Outcomes Telephone Inquiry (1/4) Company Management The qualification of employees is distributed as the following: 5% Graduation – 15% University – 70% skilled Labour – 10% unskilled Labour Company Strategy 1.Market shares 2.Competitors 3.Problem related issues

Zentrum für Innovation und Technik in NRW 3. COCOM Meeting Thessaloniki, 7 & 8 September STRATIN.C. Outcomes Telephone Inquiry (2/4) 1. Market Shares

Zentrum für Innovation und Technik in NRW 3. COCOM Meeting Thessaloniki, 7 & 8 September STRATIN.C. Outcomes Telephone Inquiry (3/4) 2. Competitors Concentrating on niche products, most of the companies have few or none competitors in their region There is a strong competition at an international level (competitors are producing in developing countries) Another form of competition are substitution technologies 3. Problem related issues Troubles with computer and equipment breakdown Market related influences, whether prices or business cycle problems Motivation of employees is affected by human resources modifications and the problem of finding qualified manpower

Zentrum für Innovation und Technik in NRW 3. COCOM Meeting Thessaloniki, 7 & 8 September STRATIN.C. Outcomes Telephone Inquiry (4/4) Innovation Eleven out of 26 companies are working with a concept of innovation watch within their daily business (in the broadest sense) Highest interest in markets, technologies and customers Product innovation is regarded as an issue with high priority Information Management Instruments Depending on the size of companies Information management is represented by intranet applications, project management software (bigger companies) databases, meetings and s.

Zentrum für Innovation und Technik in NRW 3. COCOM Meeting Thessaloniki, 7 & 8 September STRATIN.C. Summery (1/2) Fax Inquiry Reasons for the hesitant use of Knowledge-Management Applications might be the size of the SMEs and the prices for the software. Customers are a significant indicator for market orientation. Affinity for management of strategic information can be noticed, the PSIP could be a driver for less fragmented networking in the New Materials sector in NRW.

Zentrum für Innovation und Technik in NRW 3. COCOM Meeting Thessaloniki, 7 & 8 September STRATIN.C. Summery (2/2) Telephone Inquiry Knowledge and skilled labour are very important factors inside SMEs. The ranking of company strategy activities underlines the identification of new markets as a top priority, but in the daily business the companies are using most of their time for the development of new products. For the identification of new markets, the Economic Intelligence Tool proposed in STRATINC presents a useful aiding Instrument. Regarding Innovation, the Survey reflects a need of efficiency, especially for SMEs because either time and staff I highly limited.

Zentrum für Innovation und Technik in NRW 3. COCOM Meeting Thessaloniki, 7 & 8 September STRATIN.C. Networking for PSIP Implementation FORMETA competence network Covers a wide range of industrial metalworking and metal processing expertise and is characterised by a unique regional concentration of enterprises based in and around the cities of Wuppertal, Solingen and Remscheid.

Zentrum für Innovation und Technik in NRW 3. COCOM Meeting Thessaloniki, 7 & 8 September STRATIN.C. Bazaar42 for the members of FORMETA - Creation of a Community of Experts - Bazaar42 supports the transfer and the generation of knowledge in networking. The Software contains an incentive system, which animates the provision of new information and renders existent information appraisable. Each user is requested to contribute and to appraise comments and answers. Due to the evaluation system little by little a knowledge map of expertise will emerge. It is a graphical table of knowledge carrier, -sources, -structures and -applications from the available knowledge in the system.

Zentrum für Innovation und Technik in NRW 3. COCOM Meeting Thessaloniki, 7 & 8 September STRATIN.C. Thank you for your attention!