1. Innovation challenges in industry

1. From innovation to social innovation through participationChallenge Social Innovation Vienna 19-21 September 2011 Monique Ramioul - HIVA – K.U.Leuven

2. 1. Innovation challenges in industry • Acceleration of business processes and shortening of innovation cycles • Complexer products, smaller batches • Volatile markets, varying customer demands • Subsequent small innovations under extreme time pressure • Integration of products and services • Growing value chain oriented development and production processes • Persistent relocation pressure, esp. for low and medium tech industries • Ecological concerns (materials, energy, safety) • Outflow and ageing of traditional workforce • Recruitment- and image-problems

3. 2. Trade union position • Unions were fixated too long on coping with consequences of restructuring only • Growing awareness of innovation as an opportunity rather than a threat: innovation means job creation • A competitive firm is a common interest and shared goal • Employees have the right to have a competent management • There are alternatives to the downward spiral on wages, productivity and relocations • Unions and employees should be partners in seeking strategic answers and participate in innovation • Develop adequate instruments for this • Learn from each other within and between sectors and regions

4. 2. Trade union position • Some examples: • IDA (DK) supports innovation in SME’s by supporting additional employment of higher skilled • IG Metall’s ‘better not cheaper’ strategy as an offensive approach • FNV social innovation research in Low and Medium Tech industries • At macro-level, unions participated in innovation programmes under a ‘Pact’ formula in France and Wallonia (B)

5. 3. Participation in innovation 1. Broadening the process • Transparancy and information • Active participation in diagnosis, analysis, solutions and implementation • Participation in innovation is not to be hindered by collective bargaining on working conditions: these should be taken out of the innovation agenda

6. 3. Participation in innovation 2. Broadening the diagnosis: look at the full picture • Not only wage costs, productivity, lack of skills • Also quality, mistakes, use of material and energy, unsafe working environment… • Employees know where the problems are; this shopfloor knowledge should be better acknowledged and used employees are the experts as far as work is concerned

7. 3. Participation in innovation 3. Broadening the innovation-agenda • Not only businesses, products and techniques • Also work organisation and jobs • Quality of work equally important as innovation • Innovation and value chain integration can make jobs more interesting and attractive

8. 3. Participation in innovation Social innovation as workplace innovation is a valuable option but what seems often missing is: • A democratic change process • Not only working smarter, also better • What are teamwork and autonomy worth when: • wages are under pressure • working times are becoming flexible • job insecurity increases • basic health and safety are not adequately guaranteed • employee representation and social dialogue are not taken seriously

9. 4. In short: No social innovation without social dialogue