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Within the framework of the EPISIS Inno-Net project by PRO INNO EUROPE, various countries have mapped out the policy measures aimed at stimulating service innovation. Dialogic has mapped out the Dutch situation.
Despite the fact that the Netherlands has a service economy (with over 70% of the value added attributed to the service sector), there is no formal service innovation policy in place. This does not mean that service innovation is not part of the debate surrounding innovation policy; the importance of services and service innovation is increasingly being recognised (even in manufacturing industries and in society as a whole) and being discussed.
Over the past years, various initiatives have been developed to promote service innovation and/or enhance the accessibility of general and specific policy measures for service providers. These policy initiatives or policy experiments can be seen as a first step in the right direction, but are not based on a universally accepted policy vision regarding policy strategy for service innovation.
Most of the initiatives developed in recent years consist mainly of generic policy measures from which the service sector can also benefit, such as the WBSO and the new RDA scheme. This is attributed to a general shift in innovation policy (since late 2010) from subsidies and specific policies to relatively more fiscal measures and credit facilities, and towards more generic policies.
An exception is the development of the Top Sectors Policy, which uses a tailor-made set of tools to support innovation and competitiveness on a larger scale. However, within the Top Sectors Policy, the creative industry and the logistics services are the only two service sectors, making them exceptions in what seems to be a policy dominated by well-established (mostly technology-dominated) agricultural and production clusters.
Overall, it appears that the service innovation landscape and the policy mix, concerning both services and service innovation, are fragmented, especially when compared to other countries. Services and service innovation are not yet 'top of mind' for policymakers.
A total of 15 countries have conducted such country studies in the Episis project. The results will be presented on 4-5 June at the Episis conference in Helsinki, see http://www.proinno-europe.eu/episis/events/third-and-final-episis-conference.
Also visit our website: Country Report - Service Innovation Policy.