Scaling Up Innovation Procurement: Perspectives for Effective Policies

The IPTF (Innovation Procurement Task Force) Conference, held in Brussels on June 18, 2024, brought together leading voices in the field of Innovation Procurement, to discuss strategies for scaling it up across Europe. This article highlights the key takeaways from the conference, emphasising the importance of making innovation procurement a standard practice rather than an exception, to drive modernisation and fostering economic growth across the continent.

Perspectives for effective Innovation Procurement

The IPTF Conference kicked off with a keynote address from Silvi Serreqi of the European Commission. She underscored the importance of collaboration among key projects under the Horizon Europe initiative— like the joint group of BUILD, PROCEDIN,Health InnoFacilitator and the other partners included in the Innovation Procurement Task Force (IPTF). She highlighted the necessity of translating these collaborative efforts into actionable policies that can effectively address the common challenges faced in innovation procurement. Her address set the tone for the day, stressing that policy-makers must take a proactive role in overcoming these challenges.

Another key speaker, An Schrijvers, advocated for a dual approach—combining top-down incentives with bottom-up demand—to push innovation procurement onto the political agenda. Procurement, she said, should start from submitting unresolved problems, to drive demand and adoption of innovative solutions, tailored to real-world needs. To accomplish this, capacity building is essential to meet the innovation procurement training gap, to support procurement experts.

Panel Discussion Highlights

One of the most insightful parts of the conference was a panel discussion on making innovation procurement a standard practice. Lieve Bos from the European Commission argued that innovation procurement should no longer be viewed as a niche activity for risk-takers but as a fundamental aspect of modernising public services. Her perspective was echoed by Minouche Cramer. from the Municipality of Amsterdam, who stressed the importance of collaboration across different sectors and the need to bridge the gap between procurement and innovation through targeted education.

The panel also included Maria Sanchis from EIT Health, who highlighted the strategic importance of embedding procurement roles within organisations at a high level. She argued that procurement stakeholders should be involved in strategic decision-making processes to ensure that innovation procurement aligns with broader organisational goals. This view was supported by Vassilis Tsanidis from the European Commission, who pointed out that innovation procurement not only leads to better public services but also supports the growth of innovative companies, ultimately benefiting citizens.

Actionable Takeaways

Political prioritisation and capacity-building

The discussions at the IPTF Conference made it clear that political prioritisation of innovation procurement is essential. Policymakers need to create supportive environments that enable innovation procurement to flourish. This includes investing in capacity-building programs, which focus on training public procurers and equipping them with the necessary tools and knowledge.

Risk management and co-financing

Another key takeaway is the importance of risk management. Innovation procurement often involves taking calculated risks, and the conference highlighted the need for strategies like co-financing to mitigate these risks, making it easier for procurement offices to engage in innovative practices without fear of failure.

Meeting strategic goals with procurement

Finally, the conference emphasised the need to align procurement requirements with strategic goals. This alignment ensures that innovation procurement is not just about acquiring new products or services but about achieving broader objectives, such as sustainability and efficiency.

Conclusion

The IPTF Conference was a significant step forward in the journey to scale up innovation procurement across Europe, by bringing together the best practices, resources and experts focused on enhancing innovation procurement.

The insights and strategies shared by the speakers and panelists provide a clear roadmap for policymakers: prioritising innovation procurement, investing in capacity building, and managing risks effectively, are essential steps to transform procurement from a routine administrative task into a powerful tool for innovation and public service improvement.

As we move forward, it is crucial that these discussions translate into concrete actions. The future of cities innovation in Europe depends also on our ability to collaborate and scale up successful practices in public procurement, but also on policymakers’ drive in creating impactful and much needed policies.

Source: SIPE Conference Insights Report

Scaling Up Innovation Procurement: Perspectives for Effective Policies

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