European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) 2024 and Sustainable Innovation Management According to UNI/PdR 155:2023

European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) 2024, Published by the European Commission and Innovation Management According to UNI/PdR 155:2023

The European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) 2024, published by the European Commission, offers a detailed analysis of the innovative performance of the member countries of the European Union. This document is a crucial tool for understanding the dynamics of innovation in Europe, identifying areas of strength and weakness, and guiding future policies to promote competitiveness and economic sustainability.

Philosophy and Objectives of the Document

The EIS 2024 aims to provide a clear and comprehensive overview of the state of innovation in Europe, using a series of key indicators covering various aspects of the innovation ecosystem, including human resources, investments, innovative activities, and impacts. The main goal is to facilitate the understanding of the innovative performance of member countries compared to the EU average, thereby promoting an environment of continuous learning and improvement.

Classification of Countries

EU member states are classified into four groups based on their Summary Innovation Index (SII), a composite measure based on 32 indicators assessing various aspects of innovation:

1. Innovation Leaders:
2. Strong Innovators:
3. Moderate Innovators:
4. Emerging Innovators:

Indicators and Evaluation Parameters

The EIS uses a methodological framework based on 32 indicators divided into four main categories and 12 dimensions to assess the innovative performance of EU member states and selected non-EU countries.

1. Framework Conditions:

• Human Resources: Includes indicators such as the number of new doctorate graduates in STEM fields, the percentage of the population aged 25-34 with tertiary education, and lifelong learning participation.
• Attractive Research Systems: Measures the competitiveness and attractiveness of the national scientific system through international scientific co-publications, the percentage of most cited publications, and foreign doctorate students.
• Digitalization: Includes broadband penetration and the percentage of individuals with above-basic digital skills.

2. Investments:

• Finance & Support: Assesses investments in research and development from public and private sectors, including public R&D spending, venture capital funding, and direct and fiscal government support for business R&D.
• Firm Investments: Measures business R&D spending, non-R&D innovation expenditures, and innovation expenditures per employee in innovative enterprises.
• Use of Information Technologies: Includes indicators such as company-provided training to improve employees' ICT skills and the number of ICT specialists employed.

3. Innovation Activities:

• Innovators: Evaluates the number of SMEs introducing product and process innovations.
• Linkages: Measures collaboration efforts between innovative firms, public-private cooperation, and the mobility of human resources in science and technology.
• Intellectual Assets: Includes indicators such as PCT patent applications, trademark applications, and design applications.

4. Impacts:

• Employment Impacts: Measures the percentage of the workforce employed in knowledge-intensive activities and innovative enterprises.
• Sales Impacts: Assesses the value of medium-high-tech product exports, knowledge-intensive service exports, and sales from product innovations.
• Environmental Sustainability: Includes resource productivity, fine particulate emissions from industry, and the development of environmental technologies.

Italy's Performance in 2024

According to the EIS 2024, Italy is classified as a "Moderate Innovator," with an innovation index equal to 89.6% of the EU average. This represents a significant improvement compared to 2017, with a 15% increase from the 2017 baseline.

Italy's Strengths:

• Resource Productivity: Italy stands out for high resource productivity, an indicator measuring the efficiency with which a country uses resources to produce goods and services.
• Public-Private Co-publications: Collaborations between the public and private sectors are another strength, highlighting strong interaction between academic research and industry.
• SMEs Introducing Product Innovations: Italian SMEs show a remarkable ability to introduce product innovations, contributing to the country's economic growth and competitiveness.

Italy's Weaknesses:

• Population with Tertiary Education: One of the main weaknesses is the low percentage of the population with tertiary education, limiting the country's innovative potential.
• Foreign Doctoral Students: The percentage of foreign doctoral students is also below the EU average, indicating less attractiveness of the Italian higher education system for international talent.
• HRST Mobility: The mobility of human resources in science and technology is another critical point, suggesting rigidity in the labor market that could hinder innovation.

Significant Growth Since 2017:

• Innovative SME Collaborations: Collaborations among innovative SMEs have increased considerably, highlighting strengthened innovation networks and greater cooperation among firms.
• Public-Private Co-publications: Public-private co-publications have seen strong growth, reflecting improved synergy between research and industry.
• Process Innovations by SMEs: Italian SMEs have also significantly improved their process innovations, increasing efficiency and productivity.

Declines Since 2017:

• Environmental Technologies: There has been a decline in environmental technologies, a critical area in an era of increasing attention to sustainability.
• Design Applications: Design applications have also declined, suggesting decreased attention to design as a component of innovation.
• Foreign Doctoral Students: The percentage of foreign doctoral students has continued to decrease, indicating the need for more attractive policies for international talent.

In conclusion, the analysis of the EIS 2024 highlights that although Italy has made significant progress in improving its innovative performance, there are still key areas requiring attention. Improving tertiary education, attracting international talent, and promoting greater labor mobility are essential steps to further enhance Italy's innovation ecosystem and ensure its long-term competitiveness.

Links Between EIS 2024 and UNI/PdR 155:2023

UNI/PdR 155:2023 , a reference practice for the management of sustainable innovation in enterprises through open innovation, defines guidelines for addressing organizational and production changes necessary to implement an effective sustainable innovation management process. This practice integrates perfectly with the objectives of the EIS 2024, which aims to assess and improve the innovative performance of EU member countries.

Philosophy of UNI/PdR 155:2023

UNI/PdR 155:2023 is based on the principles of sustainability, resilience, and antifragility, in line with the European Commission's vision of Industry 5.0. It promotes an organizational model where innovation and sustainability are closely linked, using digital tools and advanced technologies to create efficient and flexible production systems. The reference practice aims to support organizations in generating shared value and the common good through open innovation processes.

Reference to International Standards ISO 56000

UNI/PdR 155:2023 addresses the management of sustainable innovation processes by referencing the international standards on innovation management of the ISO 56000 series. This series of standards provides a reference framework for implementing innovation management systems, including guidelines on terminology, tools, and methods for managing innovation. By integrating these standards, UNI/PdR 155:2023 ensures that innovation management practices are aligned with the best international standards, promoting a systematic and structured approach to innovation.

Groupings of Indicators in UNI/PdR 155:2023

Appendix B of UNI/PdR 155:2023 proposes a series of indicators and metrics for measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of the sustainable innovation process. These indicators are grouped as follows:

1. Sustainable Innovation Intent (Paragraph 5.1): 3 indicators.
2. Culture (Paragraph 5.2): 2 indicators.
3. Antifragile Organization (Paragraph 5.3): 8 indicators.
4. Leadership (Paragraph 5.4): 4 indicators.
5. People (Paragraph 5.5): 3 indicators.
6. Sustainable Innovation Process through Open Innovation - Generalities (Paragraph 5.6): 4 indicators.
7. Definition of the Sustainable Innovation Plan (Paragraph 5.6.1): 6 indicators.
8. Identification and Collection of Requirements (Paragraph 5.6.2): 7 indicators.
9. Search for Solutions (Paragraph 5.6.3): 7 indicators.
10. Validation and Approval of the Solution (Paragraph 5.6.4): 7 indicators.
11. Development of the Solution (Paragraph 5.6.5): 5 indicators.
12. Release of the Solution (Paragraph 5.6.6): 2 indicators.
13. Implementation of the Solution (Paragraph 5.6.7): 2 indicators.
14. Tools and Methods for Solution Search (Paragraph 5.7): 1 indicator.
15. Strategic Intelligence (Paragraph 5.8): 3 indicators.
16. Digital Platforms (Paragraph 5.9): 3 indicators.
17. Intellectual Property (Paragraph 5.10): 2 indicators.
18. Communication (Paragraph 5.11): 3 indicators.
19. Evaluation (Paragraph 5.12): 2 indicators.
20. Improvement (Paragraph 5.13): 3 indicators.

A total of 77 indicators are identified.

Comparison with EIS 2024 Indicators

The indicators of UNI/PdR 155:2023 and those of EIS 2024 show notable complementarity. Both documents assess critical aspects of innovation, such as human resources, investments, innovative activities, and economic and environmental impacts. However, UNI/PdR 155:2023 stands out for its deeper focus on sustainability and antifragility, promoting an integrated vision of innovation that considers the needs of future generations and the common good.

Relationships Between Indicators

1. Human Resources:
2. Research Systems:
3. Investments:
4. Innovation Activities:
5. Impacts:

Open Innovation Approach

UNI/PdR 155:2023 places strong emphasis on open innovation, describing a structured process that includes defining the sustainable innovation plan, identifying needs, searching for solutions, validating and approving solutions, developing, releasing, and implementing solutions on an industrial scale. This approach promotes the sharing of information and knowledge beyond organizational boundaries, involving a broad innovation ecosystem that includes startups, large companies, suppliers, universities, and research centers.

Conclusion

The integration between the indicators of EIS 2024 and those of UNI/PdR 155:2023 provides a comprehensive framework for evaluating and promoting sustainable innovation. While EIS 2024 offers a comparative assessment of innovative performance at the national level, UNI/PdR 155:2023 provides practical guidelines for companies to implement sustainable innovation processes. This synergistic approach can help improve the competitiveness of Italy and other European countries, while also promoting sustainability and the common good.