Innovation: Balancing Creativity and Control

1. Innovation: Balancing Creativity and Control Paul Rutten

2. Themes • Creativity and control • Sports • ICT research and innovation • Learning from cultural industries • Some concluding remarks: merging innovation cultures Innovation between Creativity and Control

3. Innovation between Creativity and Control

4. Case: Dutch National Soccer Team • World cup qualification Dutch National Team • ‘Too many ballerina’s in one ballet’ or ‘To many cooks…’ • Which mix of values and actions leads to the best result? • Balance between creativity and control • Rhetoric is attractive, but managing creativity is crucial Innovation between Creativity and Control

5. Case: Debate ICT Research and Innovation • Public ICT research infrastructure and competitiveness • set-up for maximum creativity and innovation in research • accountability of public investments • Committees and taskforces advise Dutch government • Many questions and dilemma’s • research program • interaction of knowledge institutes and the corporate world • insecurity about technology development • past arrangements leading to vested interests Innovation between Creativity and Control

6. Knowledge for the Network EconomyCommittee installed by AWTMotto If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood,divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearnfor the vast and endless sea. Antoine de Saint Exupery, The Wisdom of Sands Innovation between Creativity and Control

7. AWT: Creativity and Entrepreneurship • Innovation as a cyclical and interactive concept • No distinction between basic and applied research • Research agenda is determined through interaction of research institutes and the corporate world • Reward excellence instead of ‘equal distribution’ • Reward entrepreneurial spirit in knowledge institutes, • Accountability based on process and performance indicators Innovation between Creativity and Control

8. Cultural Industries as an Example • Oversupply of creative ideas, selection problem • High initial investments, low marginal costs • Project organisation, drawing on networks of professionals • Every item a new product • Demand uncertainty; Winner takes all market • Experience in balancing of creativity and control • Creativity and innovation core of the operation, but ... Innovation between Creativity and Control

9. Concluding Remarks:Merging Innovation Cultures • Merging ICT innovation cultures • European co-ordination versus region versus region competition? • European centres of excellence • Cross-sectoral merging of innovation cultures • Learning from cultural industries in balancing creativity and control within innovative organisations? • Be careful with too much ‘easy rhetoric’ on creativity and innovation Innovation between Creativity and Control