Lead Markets and Public Procurement:

Submitted by proadmin on 9 February, 2010 - 11:35

Jul 3 2008

Event Date:

3 July, 2008 - 02:00 - 4 July, 2008 - 02:00

Venue:

The Hague (The Netherlands)

Joining up to foster innovationFrom 3 to 4 July 2008 the INNO-Views Workshop on “Lead Markets and Public Procurement” took place in The Hague, The Netherlands, with about 40 participants, ranging from Member State public procurement policy, innovation agencies, existing projects and independent experts to European Commission services.

The workshop

The purpose of the workshop was two-fold. Firstly, it aimed at contributing to a deeper understanding among workshop participants of mechanisms for public procurement in support of innovation. Secondly, and more concretely, it aimed at generating comments and input to activities under the Lead Market Initiative addressing networks of contracting authorities and government organisations that promote professionalism in public procurement in the six thematic areas mentioned above. Which are the most relevant objectives that should be addressed by these networks in order to catalyse increased demand for innovation in Europe through public procurement? What are specific tasks of these networks, and what would be the general scope of public procurement activities in the six lead markets addressed under the initiative? Which activities specific to particular lead market areas should be supported creating the most valuable results?

Need for action on EU level: networking and facilitation

There are some networks of public procurers at EU level and some national networks. However, cooperation between public procurers is non-existent within many regions and countries and trans-national cooperation is poorly developed across Europe. There was strong support amongst workshop participants that support of transnational networks of public procurers in support of innovation in the lead market areas is an important initiative by the European Commission.

Overcoming barriers for procurement in support of innovation

Procurement in support of innovation lacks of recognition of innovation as strategic objective for procurers (as opposed to procurement policy makers) and the need to combine it with value for money and legal considerations.

Within each lead market area support is important for pre-tendering activities (market soundings, technical dialogue, "meet the buyer" events), developing innovative procurement strategies setting out the future needs of procurers, as well as developing and testing new tools and models to help with procurement processes.