Innovation tools will be strongly along in the new (2011) development program for logistic systems and metal companies.  I will work as a mediator of the innovation tools in our KOKO-program at Kauhajoki region. I just joined to national Innovation Tools-program . Our leader will be the “Innovation professor” himself, Vesa Harmaakorpi. I  am really waiting for this.
I have red the fine book which tells about the significance of the innovations: Blue Ocean Strategy
While I was reading the book I analyzed the message of the Blue Ocean strategy  to Logistia-Cluster companies: they produce very special   customer specific intelligent conveyor systems. This kind of market is quite challenging; it is difficult to predict the customer’s wishes and tolerance of a prize. The relation between a customer and the system supplier requires close cooperation.
According to the book Industrial Finland (finnish)  by Sitra  on the other hand, this kind of a market also is a big possibility because it follows the maps “of the Blue Ocean”, by  Kim and Mauborgnen. At a blue Ocean  the suppliers try to be distinguished on their solutions.
This kind of an especially favorable market is in such a situation in which special products and the services that have been offered gives  significant surplus value to the customers.

I have two excellent and fresh examples from companies at Kauhajoki about this.
The latest  example is from the  company KOMETOS which has specialized in meat handling with its efficient slaughter lines. Now they are delivering an effective, 500 square meter slaughter  to Orimattila. The slaughter  will begin its operation in October 2010.
The Blue Ocean Strategy comes in this project from the way they implement the delivery. They fist will construct the whole slaughter with meat handling lines to their assembly hall at Kauhajoki and will test it there. This is unusual way, the new way to delivery this kind of project. The final installation and introduction are faster than ordinary, in about 3-4 weeks performed.

My another example about Blue Ocean Strategy and Logistia-Cluster comes from material handling  know-how expert –the company PESMEL delivered about the year ago a packaging line to very demanding conditions to the steel plant in Canada. They very the only ones in the world who were  able to deliver it. There were inserts in the TV news from  both projects!

There is still much  space for us  at a blue Ocean!

I am planning and writing the development program for Logistia  2011.

Because of that I am also studying many kind of  raports about the trends and global economics.

Here is a small taste also for you.

The raport is only in finnish, but here is the link.

Global Market of the automation

• Global market 58 billion euros (source:EC 2007)
• Global market 35 billion euros (source:Frost & Sullivan 2009)
• will  grow 3% per year between 2008-2011

European Markets of the automation solutions

• will pick up  in the middle of the year 2010 (F & S 2009)
• or  perhaps pick up would  be  not until  2012 (IMS 2009)

Market of automation services

• The global market grows 7% per year (ARC 2009)
• they grow 9,6 % (F&S 2009) in EMEA area (Europe, Middle-East, Africa)

source:
Report  of the TEKES (the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation):

activation project to automation.

Ala-Keturi Oy
Anttilindfors Oy
Arometalli Oy
Botnia Service Group Oy
Dealmek Oy
Done Logistics Oy
Formia Vesme Oy
Forsfood Oy
Eloranta Pekka Simeon
Exit-Painike Ky
Fsp Finnish Steel Painting Oy
Hkm Plakaatti Tmi
J Ala-Ikkelä Oy
Janmet Oy
Jon-Tuote
Kauhabisnes Oy
Kauhacomp Oy
Kauhametalli Engineering Oy
Kauhajoen Konepaja Oy
Keski-Seppänen Taisto Einari
Kivilahden Konepaja Oy
Kukkamaa Leo Johannes
Loumetal Oy
Metallikumppanikko Oy
Mäkisen Sähkö Oy
Ossin Metalli Oy
Peltomäki Aarne Ilmari
Pesmel Oy
Pinomatic
Relicomp Oy
S & Co Yhtiö Oy
Saumet Oy
Suomen Soviteosa Oy
Säte Oy
Tmi Jk-Pelti
Tmi Keski-Harjan Metalli
Traypack Engineering Oy
Uusi-Tarkka Taisto Ilmari

I returned to work after a three  weeks’ nice vacation. It was nice to come  back to continue some interesting  development projects. I just scheduled my projects for the autumn 2010.  Here, in my Logistia blog,  are mentioned some projects.
Now we have in preparation a new Logistia-bulletin which appears just before Subcontractor Fair (21.-23.9).
We will participate in Subcontractor Fair in Tampere with the companies Ossi’s metal and LC Logistics Center. There are still many things that have be organized.
Just before my vacation I prepared the know-how matrixes/the product matrixes from the local metal companies and will continue this work together with the companies. companies in the near future. Furthermore, I will arrange the seminar from the possibilities of the internationalization for the metal companies. This will be in the beginning of October.
The following and forecasting of the trends of the world economy are involved in our program. We are involved in the TEKES project “Reneweded Industry” which started in April. The project is managed by the company futurologist, Tarja Meristö. I will tell about this during the fall more.
The challenge in fall is developing of new business activities for metal companies. At first we will   write the project plan about  promotion of the possibilities of the cleantech and  making of the service-business a marketable product.

Furthermore, we develop further functions of our technology center Logistia as our new Inno-Lab, and we participate developing of the Logistia -institute.

So there will be the many challenges and tasks for fall.

ArtsiCon Oy
Botnia Service Oy
DataSteel Oy
Dymont Installation
Elmega Oy
Enerlo-Palvelut Ky
Forsfood Oy
Harkame Oy
Ironic Oy
Jatloc Oy
Jurmet Oy
KA Control Oy
Kauhajoen Konepaja Oy
Kauhajoen Konevalmiste Oy
Kivilahden Konepaja Oy
Konesuunnittelu Pekka Piippo
Korpi Laser Ky
LP-suunnittelu Oy
Mariocon Oy
Ossin metalli Oy
Rejlers Oy
Relicomp Oy
Seppo Ryödi Oy
Suupohjan Teollisuusautomaatio
Suunnittelutoimisto Ilmo Uusitalo
Teuvan Keitintehdas Oy

Antti Lindfors Oy
Done Logistics Oy
Pesmel Oy
Pinomatic Oy
Nordautomation Oy
Formia Vesme Oy
Traypack Engineering Oy
Loumetal Oy

I orded a survey  of the future views of our metal companies a few weeks ago. Now I have the results.  Answer per cent was about 20%. So we get some kind of view how the local metal industry see the near future. The inquiry form and system for the carrying out of it have been drawn up by TEKES and Renewied Industry-program. Earlier we had the same survey made to the system supplier  companies.
Background information
In the interviewees there were most companies which had their own end products , machines and devices 70% involved. 30% of the companies were also subcontracting. Most answers came from Teuva , 70%. Great! The company size varied from the micro size companies to a 20-44 worker company, all the interviewees represented the SME  sector.
Summary of the results
The most important market area now is Finland, with a 90% share (2010). The Nordic countries  share is 30% and the rest of Europe 30%. Russia’s share is 20%.

Customers and competitors are the most important sources to innovation
In the innovation activity and development activities of the company the most important source was customers  (value 3,7/4). The second one is competitors (2,8/4) and then replacing products (2,7/4. It was experienced that the legislation and the subcontracting also had effect to some extent. The impulses also will come from sciences and research and analogies in other fields but their value was already considerably under half of the full weight value.

The fore seeing of the future was regarded as the most important factor in the development activities 70%. The commercializing and the control of wholenesses pretended to follow with the same value with a 60% stress.
When the future change factors are examined from outside the company, it will be experienced that the political change factors are the strongest drivers  that causes the need for the development functions in the companies (3,89/5). Following were ecological change factors (3,67/5) and social change factors (3,33/5).

Views of the growth
50% of companies wants to grow, 40% estimates that it is remaining unchanged. The growth is searched for from the international market. The results showed that Russia( 2,83/4), Nordic countries (2,71/4) and especially the rest of Europe (3,4/4) and Baltic Countries (2,4/4) being as target areas in 2020 in addition to Finland (3,3/4).
It is expected that the production of companies remains in 2020 strongly in Finland (3,5/4) although there is small diminishing (-0,3 units) to the 2010 value. Production is expected to move especially to the Baltic Countries (2/4), in other words here there were 0,75 units of growth per 10 years. Also other target for production were  India, Russia, Eastern Europe, China. They got the about 0,25 units growths.

The toughest competitors in 2010 are expected to come from  The Baltic Countries (2,67/4) and the Nordic countries (2,6/4), eastern  Europe (2,6/4) and Russia (2,25/4). Also China (2,4/4) and India (2,25/4) will be further regarded as the competitors.
It is expected, that most skilled work factors are being obtained 2020 from Finland (3,43/4) although the expectations fall from the a little 2010 number. The Nordic countries and the Baltic Countries stay, when ten year development is examined, in nearly the same values being the second highest (2,6/4 and 2/4). The growth of India’s share will be significant during 10 years  +0,6 units – from start level (1,8/4).

Fotos tell more…

The IASP World Conference on Science and Technology Parks (IASP 2010 Daedeok) at South-Korea with 1400 partisipants is successfully finished. A number of renowned home and abroad scholars including Professor Robert H. Grubbs of the US, professor Leo Esaki of Japan, professor Bjorn Lomborg of Denmark and president Nam-pyo Suh of KAIST attended the conference. The theme of IASP 2010 Daedeok was ‘Global Green Growth’, and ‘International Exhibition on Green Hi-tech’ had been held during the conference. From Finland attended 16 professionals including me from Logistia. The conference-program was full of interesting examples what kind of projects Science parks are doing or planning for green tech. Also we at Logistia have a project for cleantech, so we are “in” about green ideology. I will upload later, next week, a flickr- slide -show from Daejeon to Logistia-blog. I send greetings to all my new contacts and friends I met at Daejeon! Nice to meet you all and see you at Copenhagen.

We are organizing an excursion for companies from Southern Ostrobotnia to Shanghai. The EXPO 2010 and the Furniture Fair at the same time in China are the main reason for the trip. Our partner VIEXPO will also organize visits to industrial companies. So this excursion is for companies of all branches, also for technology and metal companies.

Logistia is the full member of International Association of Science Parks, IASP and the annual meeting will be near Shanghai, at South-Korea, only two hours flight from Shanghai. I, the blogger, will visit both targets. The annual meeting will be at 22th-to 26th on May, after that I will flight to World EXPO 2010. And lucky me, there will be the Finland Day just when I will be there. Of course, if there won’t be any natural crises..
If you wish more info about the excursion at September please contact:

Marko Mikkola
Head of Asia
VIEXPO

Address: Misato Meisei 4109-4, 399-8101 Azumino-city, Nagano, JAPAN
Tel: +81-(0)263-77-1775
Fax: +81-(0)263-77-1775
Mobile: +81-(0)80-3549-2108
Email: marko.mikkola@viexpo.fi
Skype: chashin
Web: www.viexpo.fi