Sustainable Growth in the Network with Systems Intelligence

The Innovation Network
for Renewing Industry in Jyväskylä brings together regional stakeholders and
their expertise. The goals are renewal, growth, and profitability. However,
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often continue to develop, pilot, and
commercialize products, materials, services, and production methods quite
independently, surrounded by everyday operational challenges. The innovation
network for renewing industry remains an untapped potential for SMEs, despite
their growing need to collaborate in a dynamic and complex business
environment.

Ensuring the growth and
competitiveness of SMEs requires improving their development and innovation
capabilities. SMEs need new skills, foresight, and innovation abilities when
operating as part of a network. Connecting to networks, active participation in
them, and managing network collaboration require new thinking and skills. New
business is created together with other companies, customers, and suppliers.
Higher education institutions, universities, and research institutes are also
significant players in innovation activities and the creation of new business.
The success of an SME is determined by its ability to identify market
opportunities, recognize the right networks, acquire the necessary expertise,
and swiftly integrate as an active player in the chosen network.

The project helps SMEs
connect to Jyväskylä's innovation network for renewing industry and strengthens
the active participation of SMEs in networks through the operational model,
methods, and tools of systems intelligence. Systems intelligence refers to intelligent
and constructive action within a system. A systems intelligent person or
community can operate sensibly as part of complex networks. Systems
intelligence has previously been studied at the level of large enterprises, but
the SME perspective has not yet been a focus of research. Previous research
results show that more systems intelligent operations at the organizational
level increase staff productivity and innovation capability.

Through the project,
collaboration among SMEs in Jyväskylä's innovation network for renewing
industry will increase and renew, RDI activities will grow, and new innovations
and business concepts will emerge. At the same time, a model will be created to
help companies in the future strengthen their connections to networks, their
active participation in them, and systems intelligent collaboration for
developing new innovations and business concepts. The model is based on the
idea that the success of future business depends on fulfilling the various
dimensions of sustainable development.

The project is divided
into three objectives:

Objective 1: Highlight
the benefits of Jyväskylä's innovation network for renewing industry in
developing RDI activities and sustainable business from the perspective of
SMEs.

Objective 2: Increase
RDI investments of SMEs in Jyväskylä's renewing industry through active and
systemically intelligent network participation.

Objective 3: Inspire
SMEs to independently, actively, and systems intelligently connect to
Jyväskylä's innovation network for renewing industry.

The activities are
divided into three thematic work packages according to the objectives.

Work Package 1:
Insights and Experiences of Networked Companies, 11/2024-4/2025

This work package will
comprehensively gather information on the initial state of the innovation
network and the perspectives of SMEs and leading companies in Central Finland
on network collaboration.

Outcome of Work Package
1: The benefits of network collaboration in Jyväskylä's renewing industry for
RDI activities and sustainable business development from the SME perspective
will be made visible. The needs of companies for the development of the innovation
network and network collaboration will be identified, and SME representatives
will have a clear view of why active participation in the network is beneficial
for RDI activities and business development.

Work Package 2:
Activating the Network through Collaborative Work, 3/2025-2/2026

To activate the
network, open collaboration events will be organized for SMEs. In these events,
companies will be encouraged to explore the practical possibilities of network
collaboration, inter-company cooperation, and new innovations and business concepts
based on the results of the current state analysis and interviews. Joint work
will focus especially on creating new business concepts considering sustainable
development.

Outcome of Work Package
2: Collaboration among SMEs in Jyväskylä's innovation network for renewing
industry has increased, RDI activities have grown, and new innovations and
business concepts have emerged. The innovation network functions better for the
participating companies than at the initial state.

Work Package 3:
Operational Model for Active SME Engagement in Jyväskylä's Innovation Network
for Renewing Industry in a Systemically Intelligent Way, 11/2024-4/2026

From the SME
perspective, an operational model will be formed on how to act as an active
player in the innovation network for renewing industry. The model will ensure
the development of network collaboration continues even after the project. The
model will consider systems intelligent network participation, including roles,
rules, attitude, new learning, active participation, and new networking
opportunities.

Outcome of Work Package
3: A concrete and visualized operational model for active SME engagement in the
renewing industry network in a systems intelligent way has been created for
SMEs to utilize. SMEs in Jyväskylä's renewing industry will be able to use the
model to connect to the regional innovation network without separate project
activities.

The project is
implemented by Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences and Häme University of
Applied Sciences. The implementation combines HAMK's theoretical expertise in
systems intelligence and Jamk's application expertise in the SME industrial
sector. Thus, collaboration can produce entirely new business-driven
operational models based on researched knowledge for SMEs in Central Finland.

For more information:

Mikko Seppälä

Projektipäällikkö

LIKE T&K

Liiketoimintayksikkö

+358504672745

[email protected]