Innovationsprogramme

Innovationsprogramme is a term used for structured initiatives designed to stimulate innovation by funding and coordinating research, development, and deployment of new products, services, or processes. Such programmes are typically organized by government agencies, regional authorities, universities, or industry consortia and may be national, regional, or sector-specific.

Objectives commonly include closing the gap between laboratory research and market-ready solutions, increasing productivity, creating jobs, and addressing policy priorities such as sustainability, health, and digitalisation. They often encourage collaboration among researchers, small and medium-sized enterprises, and larger firms, and may target specific sectors or technology areas.

Design features usually involve defined calls for proposals, eligibility criteria, competitive selection, and milestone-based funding. Instruments can include grants, co-financing, loans, guarantees, or prizes. Projects are assessed on expected impact, technical feasibility, excellence, and potential for diffusion or scale-up.

Governance typically relies on a governing board or steering committee, with program management teams handling application processing, monitoring, and reporting. External evaluations assess impact, efficiency, and alignment with strategic goals, informing potential policy adjustments and future rounds.

Benefits and challenges vary by context. Potential advantages include accelerated innovation cycles, knowledge transfer, and public value creation. Criticisms may address administrative burden, risk of misallocation of funds, competitive fragmentation, and the risk that short-term metrics overlook long-term outcomes.

In a global context, innovationsprogramme-type schemes are common in many countries and regions, often linked to science, technology, and economic development strategies. They form a core instrument for translating research excellence into practical, scalable innovations.