DESIRE - Creating innovations through market-oriented service design

The importance and growth of the service economy has been recognized during the 80s and 90s. A development which, not only will continue in the 20th century with an accelerating speed, but will take different forms and directions due to the progress of our welfare society. The recognition of perceived diversity and holistic experiences are stressed. A challenge the whole service industry will face. The innovation and knowledge creation have been and are still modestly covered in services industry, although an increasing interest in the phenomena can be found in most recent international publications. This research project is concerned with innovations and knowledge creation in the service industry, and the applicability of a market-oriented design process to this sector. The purpose is to unfold, depict and enhance innovation processes in selected case companies. Over the past two decades social and economic research has contributed to a substantial new insight into the issue of innovation, including the conditions, processes and impacts. Parallel and overlapping research has brought about a better understanding of the concept of knowledge, without which radical categories of innovation are assumed not to take place. Not surprisingly, the research emphasis has been directed towards the manufacturing industry, particularly sectors with a high, recognized research and development (R&D) activity, such as IT, pharmaceuticals, instruments, aviation, etc. In comparison, the service industry is less central in the innovation research, and the same theories, concepts, approaches, and methodologies have not been fully applied to the activities of individual or groups of service enterprises. The interest is, however, increasing, not least as a consequence of the global redistribution of production activities. The obvious alterations in economic activities as a consequence of the Internet also bring about continuous refocusing. An increased research and policy emphasis is being raised on the creative and economic potentials in the melting pot of arts and commerce. However, studies identified claim that the present conditions for the innovation processes are not particular propitious, and in the service industry sectors the innovative processes tend to be particularly hampered. Design and service innovation models are combined in this research project to identify potential new service innovation models. The project is funded by Tekes. Collaboration partner: Länsi-Suomen muotoilukeskus Muova