International innovation-related communities in Finland

Transcription

1 Internatinal innvatin-related cmmunities in Finland EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (Fr cmments ) What kind f innvatin related cmmunities there are in Finland with ptential t fster the integratin f freign human capital t innvatin envirnment? This study explres the cmmunities within the innvatin system and hw they culd prvide mre inclusive practices fr freign human capital. Our claim is that different kinds f cmmunities play crucial rle when freign individuals aim t use their prfessinal knwledge within Finnish innvatin system. Then, varius types f cmmunities culd be fstered t prvide mre inclusive practices fr freign human capital in rder t link them with innvatin and ecnmic learning prcesses. The apprach may be cnsidered t be part f the innvatin plicy, and/r immigratin plicy f the knwledge ecnmy. Cmmunity leaders and cmmunities have remarkable ptential that culd be fstered t supprt the emergence f mre inclusive innvatin envirnment in Finland. This plicy brief answers t a practical questin f the INCO prject, what kind f innvatinrelated cmmunities there are in Finland, by categrizing innvatin-related cmmunities and and hw they are linked with freign human capital and innvatin envirnment in Finland. (Figure A) Several cmmunity cases are described in ther plicy brief (2b), s this paper fcuses n categries, and their key characteristics. The apprach may be cnsidered t be part f the innvatin plicy, and/r immigratin plicy f the knwledge ecnmy TOWARDS INCLUSIVE USE OF INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL [INCO] Innvatin cmmunities integrating freign human capital t the Finnish innvatin activities ( ) Mika Rauni Research Center fr Knwledge, Science, Technlgy, and Innvatin Studies (TaSTI) // Schl f Scial Sciences and Humanities FIGURE A) Immigratin plicy f knwledge ecnmy shuld cnsider hw t link internatinal cmmunities with relevant internatinalizing innvatin platfrms Behind the cmmunities, there is a small grup f cmmunity leaders, wh play key rle in creatin f cmmunities and inclusive activities. Often they extend their persnal r business netwrk t a wider grup f peple by creating a mre permanent but pen frame fr a certain activity. Nina Mustikkamäki Research Unit fr Urban and Reginal Develpment Studies (SENTE) //Schl f Management Results are based n the empirical data gathered thrugh the screening including internet searches and 45 interviews and discussins with relevant stakehlders. 1 p licy brief 2a CATEGORIES // INCO -prject UNIVERSITY OF TAMPERE

2 1 Cmmunities and their categries Different kinds f cmmunities play a crucial rle when freign individuals aim t use their prfessinal knwledge within Finnish innvatin system This study explres the cmmunities within the innvatin system and hw they culd prvide mre inclusive practices fr freign human capital. Our claim is that different kinds f cmmunities play crucial rle when freign individuals aim t use their prfessinal knwledge within Finnish innvatin system. Then, varius types f cmmunities within the innvatin system culd be fstered t prvide mre inclusive practices fr freign human capital. Based n the literature, we defined fur categries f cmmunities in plicy brief 1. Based n empirical results f screening and 45 interviews, we refine categries t mre practical frm as fllws: Innvatin cmmunities are fully r partly devted t prvide innvatins and link new cmers t actual innvatin prcesses and/r platfrms. Plicy based pen innvatin platfrms Startup and entrepreneur based innvatin platfrms This plicy brief aim t answer t the secnd main questin f the INCO prject; What kind f innvatinrelated cmmunities there are in Finland? Supprtive prfessinal and business cmmunities link new members t a wider business envirnment and netwrks Prfessinal and entrepreneurial assciatins Prfessinal netwrking events and meet ups Enabling scial and cultural cmmunities links new cmers t varius scial netwrks and activities in the regin, with ptential links t innvatin and business envirnments f the regin. Scial media based internatinal cmmunities Internatinal scial cmmunities This plicy brief defines the innvatin cmmunities and their rles, and the partially answers the practical questin f the INCO prject; What kind f innvatin-related cmmunities there are in Finland? What is the rle f cmmunity leaders? What are the key rles f cmmunities as inclusive actrs? The inclusive cmmunity building practices are always related t their key activities. By fcusing n key activities that ffer cntext t prvide inclusive practices we aim t answer the research questins abve. Cmmunities are cnstantly evlving as feelings f belnging and intensity f interactin fluctuate amng the members. Cnsequently, the inclusive cmmunity building practices are maybe even mre relevant here than the structures f the cmmunities (i.e. wh are the members r what kind f relatins there are amng them). Practice as actin infrmed by meaning drawn frm a particular grup cntext (Ck & Brwn 1999) is always related t key gals f the grup in questin. This plicy brief is a wrkin-prgress reprt t be cmplemented in the curse f the study, nt a final statement f the prject. 2 p licy brief 2a CATEGORIES // INCO -prject

3 2 Data gathering: Screening f cmmunities, cnducting interviews and rganizing wrkshps The data was gathered fr this reprt frm the selected cityregins f Helsinki, Tampere, Oulu, Turku and Lappeenranta. The data was gathered with three different methds: Screening f innvatin (related) cmmunities, cnducting preliminary phne interviews and face-t-face interviews and rganizing small wrkshps. The data was gathered frm the city-regins f Helsinki, Tampere, Oulu, Turku and Lappeenranta thrugh three different methds as fllws (see table 1): Screening f innvatin-related cmmunities and preliminary phne interviews By using the cntacts f the research grup and using the snwballing methd and internet search (web pages f the cmmunities), existing cmmunities were mapped and recgnized. The ttal number f the screened cmmunities is apprximately 75. The leaders f the 19 cmmunities ut f 75 were interviewed by phne. The screening f the innvatin (related) cmmunities was mainly cnducted frm May t August, but screening cntinues thrughut the prject. Cnducting face-t-face interviews The mst relevant cmmunities and develpment agencies and firms (innvatin platfrms) were interviewed. The field under study is unexplred, s the thematic and pen interviews were cnsidered as the mst relevant apprach. The interviews lasted frm 1 t 1,5 hurs and they were recrded. The aim f the interviews was twfld: a) t recgnize the mst relevant cmmunity building practices frm the freigners pint f view and b) t recgnize hw the develpment agencies and firms utilize the internatinal cmmunities, if at all. Interviews were cnducted frm August t the end f the year Organizing small wrkshps Part f the interviews was cnducted in a cntext f small wrkshps that were used t fire up the discussin amng the different actrs, thse representing innvatin (related) cmmunities, develpment agencies, innvatin platfrms and firms in sme cases. The ttal number f the wrkshps in Octber 2013 was three, and we will rganize ther 1-2 wrkshp(s) at the end f this year. Table 1. Interviews with the stakehlders (a wrk-in-prgress) Preliminary phne interviews Innvatin platfrms / Face-t-face interviews develpment agencies Cmmunity leaders Wrkshps (the number f participants in brackets) TOTAL Helsinki (3) 11 Tampere Oulu (4, 3) 15 Lappeenranta Turku Ttal (10) 45 3 p licy brief 2a CATEGORIES // INCO -prject

4 3 Cmmunity leaders and fstering f the cnvergence There are frequently sme key individuals wh fster the emergence and activities f new cmmunities. They may be labeled as cmmunity leaders. There are frequently sme key individuals wh fster the emergence f new cmmunities and activities arund their shared interest. They share a highly entrepreneurial attitude and cmpetences t accmplish their gals. These entrepreneurial key individuals may be labeled as cmmunity leaders wh use significant amunt f time and effrt t prvide these public gds. In a case f scial activities a vluntary wrk is ften carried ut withut any financial benefits, and als in a case f business-related activities the benefits may be indirect. Small grup f cmmunity leaders create grups and netwrks including even thusands f individuals. Often they extend their persnal r business netwrk t a wider grup f peple by creating a mre permanent but pen frame fr a certain activity that they are keen n themselves. Fr example a small grup f Finnish entrepreneurs established a platfrm fr themselves but, pened it als fr sme ther new firms in Oulu (Starttaam); freign individuals in Helsinki rganized cmmunities arund scial media (e.g. IESAF, Expat Meetup); in Oulu few individuals established Irish ftball team (Irish Elks) and a week-lng Irish Music Festival with thusands f visitrs. Clearly these individuals share a similar passin and cmmitment t their activity, even thugh wrking in different fields. Often cmmunity leaders within the same field (e.g. scial r business) in a regin knw each ther at least t sme extent, but this des nt apply between the fields. Develpment prjects r reginal develpment agencies building inclusive practices t Finnish innvatin envirnment may significantly benefit frm the cmpetences f the internatinal cmmunities. Recent related develpments seem t be prmising and emerging new mind-set f immigratin plicy f knwledge ecnmy is visible in these prcesses Develpment prjects r reginal develpment agencies building inclusive practices t Finnish innvatin envirnment may significantly benefit frm the cmpetences f the internatinal cmmunities. Recent related develpments seem t be prmising. In scial cmmunities many cmmunity leaders have recently becme interested t fster new practices that link cmmunity t business and jb markets mre clsesly. A wish t give back t the Finnish sciety was strng in sme cases (e.g. Great Wall Tampere) The mst recent develpment prjects that aim t prvide reginal settling services fr freign individuals and emplyers wishing t emply them have acknwledged a ptential f internatinal cmmunities fr services prvisin. Emerging examples include develpment prcesses f Helsinki Regin Immigrant Emplyment Cuncil run by Chamber f Cmmerce and HERA, and Talent Tampere initiated by Tredea ltd. Bth are still emerging, and nt yet really established, but emerging new mind-set f immigratin plicy f knwledge ecnmy is visible in these prcesses. Mre mature examples (althugh maybe exceptins t a rule s far) are Otaniemi-based Talent Match service that relates t Otaniemi Internatinal Netwrk with hundreds f freign prfessinals, and currently ceased business services in Oulu, Expatriate Family Adjusting, that was managed by Dutch cmmunity leader. Internatinal cmmunities are ften seen as an easier and mre cmprehensive surce f knwledge than parallel prjects r public services. Cmmunity members with years f experience in Finland (and ften frm ther cuntries) ften ffer mre cmprehensive view t the Finnish sciety and knw hw t interpret different situatins frm relevant pint f view (e.g. when establishing a firm). Public services may be hard t find and dispersed. 4 p licy brief 2a CATEGORIES // INCO -prject

5 4 Categries f cmmunities based n their key activities Many cmmunities develp inclusive practices as part f their key activities, nt as additinal practices in rder t be mre internatinal. Based n ur empirical results, we split initial categries f cmmunities t tw sub-categries. Each emphasis different inclusive practices and have different target grups. These practices ffer prmising pprtunities fr further develpment regarding the accessibility f the Finnish innvatin envirnment. The first categry may be labeled as innvatin platfrms that are built t fster innvatin activities and may be divided further t plicy-based innvatin platfrms and entrepreneur-based innvatin platfrms 1) Innvatin cmmunities are fully r partly devted t prvide innvatins and link new cmers t actual innvatin prcesses and/r platfrms. Plicy based pen innvatin platfrms Startup and entrepreneur based innvatin platfrms Platfrms are built t fster innvatin activities, and may be divided further t plicy-based innvatin platfrms (e.g. New Factry Tampere, Business Kitchen Oulu) established by the reginal develpment agencies r develpment netwrk, and entrepreneur-based innvatin platfrms (e.g. Starttaam in Oulu). by entrepreneurs themselves. Bth aim t fster entrepreneurship, supprt startup culture and new firms, as well as t rganize varius related events (e.g. pitching) and netwrking pprtunities. It is als typical that innvatin platfrms deliberately enhance and supprt feeling f belnging and cmmunity building. Target grups may be slightly different, as the plicy-driven platfrms may emphasize participatin f students r highly-skilled unemplyed, and the entrepreneur-driven platfrms base their selectin mre t a business idea and its prspects nly. While in bth majrity f the participants are Finns, a share f freigners may be fairly high due t lw entry barriers (e.g. meritcracy, English as a wrking language). At best inclusive practices are clearly strategic and a natural chice in a glbal business envirnment (e.g. use f cultural diversity as a selectin criteria fr student teams), but there are als innvatin platfrms with scant r nne inclusive practices. Cmmunity learders are frequently Finnish, but sme key individuals fstering the develpments within the grup may be freign. The secnd pair f inclusive cmmunities includes prfessinal interest grups and netwrking-based business prmtin 2) Supprtive prfessinal and business cmmunities link new members t a wider business envirnment and netwrks They are ften established by the members f innvatin cmmunities, and they have at least sme link t innvatin platfrms and/r activities Prfessinal and entrepreneurial assciatins Prfessinal netwrking events and meet ups Supprtive prfessinal and business cmmunities increase inclusive activities by shaping the innvatin envirnment.. Distinctin can be made between prfessinal interest grups (e.g. IGDA Finland, Chinese student assciatin) fcusing n the prfessinal envirnment bradly and netwrking-based business prmtin (e.g. Mbile Mnday). The raise f the varius netwrking events, rganized in English, have increased during the last few years, maybe in tandem with start-up and entrepreneurship prmting activities. Fr example Internatinal Game Develpment Assciatin (IGDA)is a nn-prfit prfessinal sciety that aims 5 p licy brief 2a CATEGORIES // INCO -prject

6 t advance the careers and enhance the lives f game develpers, and eases als the integratin f freign individuals t the prfessinal cmmunity. Als student assciatins may be include t prfessinal r entrepreneurial categry. Maybe the best knw are the Entrepreneur Scieties (ES)in several lcatins, and in Aalt university they have been very active als in setting up the innvatin platfrm themselves (e.g. Start-Up sauna). ESs are fairly easy netwrk fr freign students t jin, and language is cmmnly English. Als Chinese student assciatin at the technical university in Tampere prvides netwrks and guidance fr arriving students and infrms them fr example pprtunities ffered by innvatin platfrms and then links new cmers t innvatin activity at least t sme extent. Assciatin is spnsred by the Chinese gvernment. Netwrking events are key activity fr example fr Mbile Mnday, f which events ffer pprtunities t find funding, partners and new insights glbally, while Scializing Friday ffers netwrking and less fficial scializing pprtunities in Helsinki and Oulu t thse wh have interests in certain fields f technlgy and business.. Target grups are members r frthcming members f the innvatin cmmunities; current and future experts and entrepreneurs. English is frequently used as a wrking language, and internatinal envirnment is seen as a main scale f activities and cnsequently very accesible fr freigners as well. Cmmunity leaders are frequently Finnish. The third categry prvides mre pen scial capital t the regin and may be divided t scial activities (e.g. sprts, culture) and scial media based cmmunities (scial grups, infrmatin sites) 3) Enabling scial and cultural cmmunities links new cmers t varius scial netwrks and activities in the regin, with ptential links t innvatin and business envirnments f the regin. Scial media based internatinal cmmunities Internatinal scial cmmunities The third pair f cmmunities is rganized arund scial and cultural activities that aim t shape the envirnment t mre inclusive fr new cmers. Scial and culturla cmmunities have very weak links t innvatin activities and platfrms (alhtugh they have members wh may wrk there), but recently there has been sme attmpts t apprach these as well. The main differences between the grups are, that internatinal scial cmmunities are rganized arund scial activities (e.g. Irish Elk FC, Indian cricket clubs) that cmmunity leaders frequently run by themselves and they have nrmally a few dzen members at maximum, while in scial media based grups (e.g. Internatinal English Speaking Assciatin f Finland, Expat meet-up)als link peple t many activities, but they are nt always rganized by the cmmunity leaders but als many ther members f cmmunity, and number f members is rather thusands than dzens. In additin t event and scializing-riented cmmunities scial media includes infrmatin-riented sites that prvide links and infrmatin fr new cmers; and ften als peer-t-peer mutual help by giving answers t questins ranging frm daily practices t the setting up a firm in Finland (e.g. expat Finland) The barrier t jin t scial media based cmmunities is extremely lw, in bth grups cmmunity leaders and members are mstly freign as well as target grup in mst cases. 6 p licy brief 2a CATEGORIES // INCO -prject

7 5 Immigratin plicy 2.0: Unleashing the ptential f cmmunities All discussed cmmunities have significant hidden ptential t internatinalize the Finnish innvatin envirnment and they als prvide an pprtunity t link immigrants in general mre clsely t innvatin related activities. The building f new related services is-in-prgress, (e.g. in Helsinki HERIEC, Talent Match, Talent Tampere).and their pprtunities t benefit frm links with innvatin platfrms and internatinal cmmunities shuld be cnsidered The purpse f the categrizatin is the fllwing. All discussed cmmunities have significant hidden ptential t internatinalize the Finnish innvatin envirnment. They als prvide an pprtunity t link immigrants in general mre clsely t innvatin related activities. Cultural cmpetences, entrepreneurial spirit and scializing activities may be develped tgether in the regin by linking the different types f cmmunities abve. Cmmunities are valuable actrs, and element fr the immigratin plicy f the knwledge based ecnmy. The challenges fr immigratin plicy f the knwledge based ecnmy include: Prcess t recgnizing the relevant cmmunities and their rles in the integratin prcess and relatin t innvatin activities. Bringing tgether the cmmunity leaders and prviding incentives t cntinue their wrk, withut decreasing the passin and cmmitment by institutinalizing the activities with machinery f prject-mills. C-prductin, scial entrepreneurship, furth-sectr and ther new frms t prduce public gds have been discussed in this cntext, and they shuld be carefully explred when implementing the plicies. The building f new related services is-in-prgress, (e.g. in Helsinki HERIEC, Talent Match, Talent Tampere).and their pprtunities t benefit frm links with innvatin platfrms and internatinal cmmunities shuld be cnsidered. The full invlvement f freign key persns t the decisin-making and cntent prvisin in related prjects shuld be secured, and Use f freigners as facades fr the prjects, r free speakers in related seminars. shuld be avided. Internatinal cmmunities pssess a significant hidden ptential in terms f tacit knwledge, cultural cmpetences, entrepreneurial spirit and capability t create rganizatinal frame fr inclusive practices. Figure 1) Sme inclusive cmmunities and relatins with innvatin and freign human capital. 7 p licy brief 2a CATEGORIES // INCO -prject