Building innovation procurement capabilities in Big Science

ongoing

Innovation procurement is a largely underused mechanism in the publicly funded Big Science Organisations (BSOs), such as CERN (CH), EuXFEL (DE), European Spallation Source (ESS-Sweden), Fusion4Energy/F4E/ITER. BSOs represent huge European public investments, estimated at €38.7 Bn for the coming years. BSOs are recognized as drivers for innovation with a huge impact on society in fields such as energy, health, materials, environment and IT. INPROCAP will establish co-designed innovative procurement practices in BSOs. Through INPROCAP, a fragmented network of Industrial Liaison Offices (ILOs) will be able to provide Advisory Services, and involve their huge network of national and international SMEs and deep connections to the innovation ecosystem. More than 200 companies will be engaged in innovative procurement for BSOs through INPROCAP. The INPROCAP consortium is uniquely positioned to potentiate innovation procurement opportunities for BSOs, by involving four ILO networks (DTI/DK, NWO/NL, CDTI/ES, NCBJ/PL) covering the entire European region – the ILOs will co-create and receive training on innovation procurement (developed with and provided by an SME with vast experience in innovation procurement – PEDAL/SK). INPROCAP partners will engage their wider network of start-ups and innovative companies, while ensuring that BSOs are capable and prepared to embark on innovation procurement processes. BSOs are directly involved in INPROCAP through EuXFEL/DE and EISCAT/SE, who will identify their innovation procurement needs that will be presented to SMEs for co-design. Through INPROCAP, innovation procurement will become a standard tool in the BSO toolbox. The potential of SMEs to increase their supply of innovations to the public sector BSOs will be widely disseminated, and the innovation procurement cases developed in INPROCAP will serve as examples for BSOs across the world, contributing to overcome the current dispersion observed in innovation procurement.