INO Seminar

Seminar by
Steven MacGregor

Developing a RESPONSE to sustainable innovation

Abstract:

RESPONSE was a 15 month EU research project conducted by academic and industrial services partners from Spain, UK and Italy. Funded through the ‘mainstreaming CSR in SMEs’ grant from DG Enterprise & Industry the initial aim of the research was to show that CSR need not be an additional cost for the enterprise, rather something that could add value through developing the link with innovation. We created a Social Innovation model (CSR:I3), the main result of interviewing 60 companies in 4 European regions – Catalonia, the Basque Country, Lombardia and the West of Scotland.

The presentation will be divided in two parts. A first academic oriented section will focus on the background, methodology and main research results - several key propositions, not yet fully proven hypotheses, will be presented as well as main barriers to the uptake of CSR. One best practice case will be explained – a Catalan SME, mature in their approach to CSR and innovation, who consistently receive awards in both areas. A second industry oriented part will present the results of the NAVICOM (a Danish SME in the IT sector) case, the first industrial intervention completed after the research project which aimed to make a quick diagnosis of the CSR profile of the company and provide focus for generating appropriate strategy for leveraging sustainable innovation. We believe that for companies who want to add more value across the company, the Social Innovation model offers a portal to a more innovative enterprise.

Dr. Steven MacGregor is a Managing Partner of Total Fitness for Business SL in Girona, Spain. He holds a PhD in Engineering Design, teaches at Universities in Barcelona and Girona, and consults on innovation projects for clients in Spain and the UK.

Contact person: Associate Professor Christoph Hienerth