Dutch companies achieve more innovations, but investments in technological innovation continue to fall

Research institute INSCOPE: Research for Innovation at Erasmus University Rotterdam conducts the Erasmus Competition and Innovation Monitor every year. The research is led by Prof. Henk Volberda, professor of strategic management and business policy at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM). Announcements of the research results and the most innovative company in the Netherlands took place on Thursday 19 November 2015 during the Innovation Festival 2015 in the Rotterdam Science Tower. According to Henk Volberda, Dutch companies achieve more innovations, but investments in technological innovation continue to fall.

The main findings of the report (in Dutch), which can be downloaded here, are:

The innovative capacity of Dutch companies has risen.
Investments in research and development (R&D) and in information and communication technologies (ICT) fell again this year.
Disruptive innovation requires more than just technological innovation. Top sectors focus too much on technological innovation.
Disruptive innovations are mainly found in the high-tech sector and in start-ups. Top sectors logistics and energy lag behind.
Knowing what’s happening on the work floor is important for producing more radical innovations.
Listed companies produce fewer radical innovations.
Corporate social responsibility in business produces more product, service and disruptive innovations, but above all demands innovative ways to manage and organise (social innovation).
Eindhoven region excels at several types of innovation.

These and other findings of the Erasmus Competition and Innovation Monitor 2014 – 2015 were be announced by Professor Henk Volberda during the Innovation Festival 2015, which was organised by the Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship and Stichting Platform Digital Manufacturing. Speakers of the congress included Henk Kamp, Dutch minister of economic affairs; Neelie Kroes, former European Commissioner for Digital Agenda; and Prof. Jan Peter Balkenende, former prime minister of the Netherlands. For more information about this research report, please call Henk Volberda on +31 10 408 2210 or +31 6 12972233 or email hvolberda@rsm.nl.

More information

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) is one of Europe’s top-ranked business schools. RSM provides ground-breaking research and education furthering excellence in all aspects of management and is based in the international port city of Rotterdam – a vital nexus of business, logistics and trade. RSM’s primary focus is on developing business leaders with international careers who can become a force for positive change by carrying their innovative mindset into a sustainable future. Our first-class range of bachelor, master, MBA, PhD and executive programmes encourage them to become critical, creative, caring and collaborative thinkers and doers. www.rsm.nl

For more information about RSM or this release, please contact Erika Harriford-McLaren, Media & Public Relations Manager for RSM, on +31 10 408 2877 or by email at harriford@rsm.nl.