Innovation Patterns in KIBS Organizations: A Case Study of Finnish Technical Engineering Industry

The innovation patterns in Finnish engineering consultancies are analyzed in terms of service innovation types. The utilized typology of service innovations includes four dimensions: new service concepts, new client interfaces, organizational innovations and technological options. The empirical findings indicate that innovations in Finnish engineering consultancies mainly occur as client-led innovations and innovations through services. Typical examples of innovations are related to new organizational models and networks, which help working with the clients, and technology-based innovations, which can take the form of new software. Based on the analysis, we draw some preliminary conclusions about the general development needs in innovation patterns of the engineering consultancy sector. We also outline some potential directions for future studies