What are firm’s strategic intelligence ‘needs’?: The Murcia example

Esteban PelayoINFO – Regional Development Agency of Murcia

Stratinc Finale Conference7th of September 2006

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Outline

1. Needs detected by StratinC partners 1. Needs detected by StratinC partners

2. The case of Murcia2. The case of Murcia

3. Conclusions3. Conclusions

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Needs detected by StratinC Project

• In 2004 the partners of the project made an analysis to detect companies’ cluster needs in any of the participant regions

• Determination if these needs were different in clustered companies than in isolated ones

• The complete information is available in:

• Global report: http://www.e-innovation.org/stratinc/files/Clusters_needs_in_Strategic_Information.pdf

• All partners surveys: http://www.e-innovation.org/stratinc/reports.html

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Relevance of information

• Information is an important input for the strategy and competitiveness of the companies

– Example of how was scored by Oslo Biotechnology companies the market knowledge:

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Agree Partly agree Neither agreenor disagree

Partly disagree Disagree

Increased knowledge about the market is important to succeed in the development of profitable products

Source: Oslo Teknopol (2004) “A survey of Norwegian Biotechnology companies”; based on a report composed for The Norwegian Research Council by MMI UNIVERI

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Innovation and watch

Not relevance

Some relevance

Average relevance

Great relevance

Markets XX

Technologies XX

Competitors XX

Suppliers XX

Customers XX

Products XX

Process XX

Recruitment XX

Training XX

Financing aids and subsidies

XX

Fields of SurveyIn the other regions the most important fields of survey are:• MarketsMarkets• TechnologiesTechnologies

Followed by:• Customers• Products

Source: Mancomunidad del Norte de Tenerife

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Sources of information

• For the others regions the results are:– Customers, – Internet– Suppliers

• Followed by:– Trade fairs– Employees– Competitors

NORDRHEIN WESTFALEN : STRATEGIC INTELLIGENCE AND CLUSTERING in the

NEW MATERIALS SECTOR

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Other needs of watch

• In all of the partners the main results are:– Identification of potential

sources of information– Provision of information

• Followed by:– Help with the formulation of

requirements of information

• Not relevant:– Identification of potential

subcontractors / outsourcing

ICT Sector inRegion of Central Macedonia

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Networks - Motivations

• Share competences

• Get new markets what you can’t get alone

• Diversify the customers

• Rationalize the purchases

• Develop the outsourcing

• Grow quantitative production

• Create a lobbying

LORRAINE : STRATEGIC INTELLIGENCE AND CLUSTERING in the WOOD SECTOR

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Company needs in Murcia

• Juice industry

• Main characteristics:– The growth in companies come from product innovation– Information comes from different sources, but none of

them satisfactory– They do not consider themselves as a cluster. However

they express that their information needs are the same for all of them

• Main difficulties– Skepticism: Four industrial associations providing

information – There is not any common platform for all of them able to

became a starting point

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Innovation & watch in Murcia

Maininterests

Fields of survey

Sources of information

Practical of watch

The Market Providers

Products TechnologiesMarket Regulations

FairsInternetR&D Institutions and Professional organizations

Formalized on customers, suppliers and markets

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General scheme of the PSIP for juices

Software PSIP

E-mail alertsInternet

http://zumos.ctc.eshttp://zumos.ctc.es

Collection of data Analysis Dissemination

Expert

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PSIP in Murcia (1)

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1st Conclusion: Close approaches are important

Strategic intelligenceTechnology watchForesightEconomic intelligenceHuman capitalKnowledge ManagementCo-opetitionCluster

Information about•Clients•Competitors•Providers•Regulations•Own employees• Science & Tech.

Analysis

Increase profitsIncrease salesCompetitiveness

SalariesInvestments pay-back

Concepts Deliverables Companies

1. Feedback from the companies 1. Feedback from the companies

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2nd Conclusion: Supply only useful information

• The information has to be useful and lead directly to the adoption of actions to be done by the company who receives that information. Information ‘as such’ is not enough to increase companies’ competitiveness

Information supplied

Information supplied

Company

Examples of possible actions:• New providers • New markets• New investments• New personnel• Innovation on a certain technology for a process or a product

Examples of possible actions:• New providers • New markets• New investments• New personnel• Innovation on a certain technology for a process or a product

1. Feedback from the companies 1. Feedback from the companies

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3rd conclusion: foster internal capabilities

• A common approach is to provide information

– But…• Is extremely difficult to supply relevant and customized

information to the companies• The companies’ needs wouldn’t be satisfied

• It is better to foster internal capabilities in companies– It is more powerful to promote the use of strategic

intelligence in companies by other measures

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Region of Murcia

Thank you for your attention!

Contact:Esteban Pelayowww.ifrm-murcia.esEsteban.Pelayo@info.carm.es Tel.: +34 968 362812