Internal Development Strategies of Partners if Eco-Innovative Services Network: Consortium's Source of Knowledge

Abstract

In the present paper, its authors present theoretical explanations and summarise developed in the research process stages of creating internal development strategies of R&D entities, offering their eco-innovative services to SMEs, in collaboration with the partners of the created organisational network – also termed as consortium of eco-innovations. These stages included three primary dimensions: I) where a particular entity is at a given moment, II) what the given entity wants to achieve, III) how the entity intends to achieve its intentions? Therefore, twelve common procedures that regulated the development and implementation of internal development strategies were proposed and justified during consultations with all the partners of the network of eco-innovative services ECOLABNET (created in six Baltic Sea Region countries). In the context of the proposed procedures, on the example of the network of eco-innovative services ECOLABNET, the authors have summarised in the form of tables and visualised in the charts activities of all partners so as to compare them, and demonstrate similarities and differences in creating and implementing the strategies of internal development. On this basis, referring to the summarised research results, we have attempted to answer two research questions: 1) What are the similarities and what causes differences in the plans of internal development strategies with regard to economic differences of the partners of the international eco-innovation consortium – implementing a common goal of creating a network of service providers that support eco-innovative actions in small and medium-sized enterprises? 2) To what extent does the information about internal strategies and their implementation by the project partners influence development of accumulated knowledge that ensures: improving the collaboration of the created consortium with the sector of small and medium-sized enterprises and development of eco-innovative initiatives with reference to the needs indicated by the beneficiaries (present and prospective needs)?