Title: What can we learn from the industrial innovation and innovation policy initiatives in Lofoten, North
1What can we learn from the industrial innovation
and innovation policy initiatives in Lofoten,
Northern Norway?The case of TourismTrond
Einar Pedersen, NIFU STEP www.nifustep.no
tep_at_step.no
2The message what can we learn?
- Firm innovation came before innovation policy
not the other way around - Imitation is a good innovation strategy
- Networking as innovation strategy in tourism
- Branding as cross-sectoral innovation strategy?
3Lofoten Northern Norway
- 6 municipalities
- 25 000 inhabitants
- Beautiful, distinctive, delimited region
- Fisheries, tourism, agriculture, public services
4(No Transcript)
5Henningsvær, Lofoten
6(No Transcript)
7(No Transcript)
8(No Transcript)
9Tourism
- Number one destination in Norway
- Ideal structure for tourists
- 25 000 inhab.- 200 000-300 000 overnight stays
per year - Mix of cruise tourists and own-wheel-tourists
- During a very short season
10The Lofoten tourist product
- Comprehensive experience
- Involves most aspects of Lofoten
- - nature and way of living
- - different accommodation types, specially
Rorbu (fishermens cabins) - - food (stockfish and other delicacies)
- - historical and archaeological attractions
- - extreme as well as recreational activities
- - compact original sceneries of picturesque,
old, small, exotic fishing villages in
breathtaking nature
111. Firm innovation came before innovation policy
- 20 years of different versions of
enterpreneurship and innovation - Development of fishing villages
- Fishermens cabins (rorbu)
- Viking site-museum, art galleries
- Increasingly other excavations, archaeology
- Ice bar
- Deep sea rafting, fishing, whale safari
122. Imitation as important as radical innovation
- Imitation within Lofoten as important as radical
innovation - Fishermens cabins main accommodation all over
Lofoten - Everything within the same vision High quality
presentation of the genuine Lofoten way of life,
history, culture, industries, nature
133. Networking as innovation strategy in tourism
- From entrepreneurship and imitation to innovation
policy collaboration - Unified because of the Lofoten identity
- Collaboration across the 6 municipalities
- The consensus-oriented Lofoten Council
(Lofotrådet)
14 3. Networking as innovation strategy in tourism
(cont.)
- Destination Lofoten as gathering actor
- Based on national innovation policy
- White book on tourism development
- Guiding policy document, in practice a cookbook
for development of tourist destinations - Made by external expertise
15(No Transcript)
16The 6 municipalities
Røst
Værøy
Moskenes/Flakstad
Vågan
Vestvågøy
Lofoten Council
The Master Plan Process
Destination Lofoten
Innovation Norway
Consultant expertise
Selected tourist firms
Transport/communication firms
?
Tourist industry suppliers and firms
174. Branding as cross-sectoral innovation policy?
- The Master Plan process is a branding process
- Active marketing strategy
- This can easily be made into a cross-sectoral
innovation policy? - Food specialities and tourism is already there on
fish products - Potential for meat products, milk based products,
vegetables... - Other industries to be included?
18But the process is being challenged
- Two partly opposing perspectives
- Policy process based on new tourism White book
and consulting expertise - Very flexible, open-ended, muddling through
- Strict green/sustainable local community
development communicated and implemented by
local entrepreneurs
19End
Trond Einar Pedersen, NIFU STEP www.nifustep.no
tep_at_step.no