The European project entitled “Innovation by the Concrete Impulse Package (ICIP)” is based on four methodologies which encompass successful and proven national methods of concrete use and innovation. These aim to support two aspects of the building industry with reference to innovation in the concrete sector;
Access to and collaboration with other networks·
Improving awareness, knowledge and binfluence behaviour of SME's
Elaborating these four methodologies and making direct contacts with SME's, the project has contributed to improving knowledge flow and subsequent implementation of ideas with respect to concrete, the most important building material in today's society. Within the ICIP project 12 Concrete Societies worked together under the banner of the European Concrete Society Network (ECSN) to approach and influence SME's in their own national concrete sector.
These methodologies are:
Determination and publication of 'best practices on concrete design and construction'
Multidisciplinary connections, workshops & model programme for SME's
Linking demonstration projects within Europe
Help-desk/advisory services for SME's
These methodologies enhance the knowledge, position and behaviour towards technical innovations in the concrete sector. The four main problems associated with innovation and SME's, are:
Difficult access to finances for SME's
Insufficient co-operation between SME's and the scientific R&D sector
Lack of structured communication between SME's and public authorities, universities and research institutes
Quality of management and workforce(skills)
It is important to state that the projects considered within ICIP all follow a market driven approach. Only then is a successful implementation possible as earlier experiences have often shown a failure of a top-down approach to innovation. That is why the work within ICIP started with a general study and questionnaire on needs of SME's in the concrete sector in three different EC countries.
More information can be found on following website: http://www.ecsn.net/icip
