This document provides an executive summary of the INSCO research project focusing on innovation in sourcing competencies. The research will involve case studies, development projects, and interviews to explore collaboration practices for sourcing innovative products and services. Specific areas of focus include management of innovation relationships, practices for indirect sourcing, and the use of demos and prototypes. The research will be conducted from 2011-2012 by a team from Aalto University and Oulu University working with industrial and international partners.

1. INSCO – Innovation in Sourcing Competencies
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Research themes Research Approach
 Innovation in sourcing Case studies, development projects, expert
- products & services interviews and benchmarking
◦ Collaboration practices in early phases
◦ Management of innovation focused Industrial partners
relationships also with SMEs and Teleste, Konecranes, NSN
microbusinesses
◦ Practices for indirect sourcing International partners
◦ Use of demos, prototypes and pilots Meraka Institute/CSIR; RLabs – South Africa
Tokyo Tech, Japan; Kaserat University, Thailand
 New practices for sourcing
Schedule
◦ For transactional, project, process and
1.2.2011 – 31.6.2012
special sourcing relationships
◦ Collaboration with developer
communities, innovation networks and Research team
living labs Aalto University prof Eero Eloranta +team
Oulu University prof Harri Haapasalo +team
◦ Possibilities of crowdsourcing international partners
Contact
Minna.Takala (at) aalto.fi
+358 – 50 911 5920

2. Session in SoMeTime2011 with RLabs
http://bambuser.com/channel/somestudio/broadcast/1729626

3. Collaboration practices
Research visits & joint workshops
* Design Factory, Venture Garage Active use of social media for
* Demola, Hub Tampere etc. communication
* Meraka RLabs * SoMeTime 2011 – session with
RLabs enabled by Skype,
Bambuser, Twitter etc.
Joint papers – themes Testing out new practices
” Emerging new institution for
innovation & collaboration
Under preparation
practices wih industry”
”Crowdsourcing” * collaboration agreement
comments for White Paper on with RLabs & Aalto
”Supporting the Evolution of * session in IST Africa 2012
Sustainable Living Labs and conference in May in Tanzania
Living Labs Networks in Africa”