Scaffolding innovations: Implications of regional innovation barriers for platform-based innovation management improvement

This paper presents different typical SME innovation profiles found within a sample of 87 Central Swiss companies. For each profile the main barriers of innovation are depicted. Subsequently, an innovation management platform is depicted, which is available since 2007. Bringing profiles and the characteristics of the platform together, some crucial implications for innovation coaches will be pointed out. This paper bases on results of the qualitative research project `Innovation intense´ at Lucerne School of Business. The objective of the project was to integrate, complement and expand insights that have been created by several previous research projects of the Lucerne School of Business on innovation management in Central Swiss SMEs.