About the European Commission directorate general for communications network, content and technology (DG CONNECT)

DG CONNECT supports the development and use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for the benefit of all citizens. Its mission is to:

  • Enable a digital single market, which means a single service that allows Europeans to access their favorite (local) services or favorite (local) content wherever they are in Europe
  • Support innovation and competitiveness in Europe through excellence in ICT research and development
  • Encourage the widespread availability and accessibility of ICT-based services, especially those that have the greatest impact on the quality of life of the citizens
  • Implement the “acquis communautaire” (EU legislation) in the area of Information Society and Media.

Implementation of this mission will be ensured by delivery on the objectives and actions of the Digital Agenda for Europe and related flagship initiatives of the Europe2020 strategy.

DG CONNECT’s customers include all EU and international organizations and individuals: commercial companies, research organizations, academic institutes, SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises), individual experts and EU member state governments.

The challenge

Digital single market

The digital single market is about consumers being able to access content wherever they are. For example, being able to access an Italian song or a Greek subscription channel while living in Belgium. The challenge arises because there are 27 identities and 23 different languages in Europe. Services have to be rolled out organically to different markets, respecting their cultural differences.

Open innovation

Another fairly new term is open innovation. Popularly used while discussing the development of services based on collaborative platforms or on collaborative ecosystems, the term captures the co-creative crowd-sourcing potential and integrates societal capital to enhance services innovation. The European Commission is still trying to better understand the economic and social impact from the big industrial players’ point of view.

Networking and user engagement

A third challenge is evaluating the rewards of networking from a broader perspective (not only organizational) to improve the innovation base but also assessing user engagement in the innovation ecosystem and user centricity in services creation. The difficulty is to cover not only the software and technical platforms, but also the socioeconomic impact of user-centric services.

Our answer

CGI participated in an industry-led study, “OSI: Socio-Economic Impact of Open Service Innovation,” which considers the role of users and citizens in open, user-driven service innovation, as part of the industrial ecosystem, in the context of societal and ICT developments.

We were part of a consortium that was a unique combination of high-level professional entities from industry and research: IBM, Intel, Nokia, Novay and Innovation Value Institute. The study was coordinated and led by Dr. Gohar Sargsyan, from CGI, an experienced program manager and business management consultant in international multidisciplinary environments both in the public and private sectors.

Together with the consortium, we analyzed the challenges of economic values, wealth generation in socio-economic terms and creation of common values and suggested successful business ecosystem approaches for service innovation.

Being an industry-led study, the findings and recommendations were grouped from the perspective of the market. The case study analyses revealed new open innovation models, where the user/customer is one of the key drivers and wealth generators.

A success story

The consortium led by CGI offered a new reversed innovation pyramid that takes a fresh look at the changing role and involvement of users/customers. Citizens are not only users of new services; they are also participants in the innovation process. The benefits of this are immense and include:

  • Share-of-profit, wealth generation in an inclusive society, for the market
  • Formation of creative societies as part of the services chain
  • Life-long education for continued relevance and innovation.

Our contribution to the assessment of research, industry and policy actions had an important impact on European based service industry. Casting the user as a key actor, the study proposed a series of new approaches in the vision on ICT based, knowledge-intense, open service innovation ecosystem.

The study also explored the rewards of networking beyond organizational borders, and discovered that firms can improve their innovation base and put public capital to the best use.

Key benefits

  • Supports a single European market via digital agenda for Europe and Europe2020 (e.g. single EU pension system, etc.)
  • Reduce energy consumption by engaging users in the process
  • Improve traffic flow and driver safety and assistance using open platforms and drivers’ dynamic participation
  • Reach revenues of over 5% by open services innovation in next generation banks
  • Improve patient safety and quality of care (by over 27%) at the same time to secure return on investment (by over 104%)
  • Improve organizational capabilities by over 25% using new CMM models
     

"I am impressed by the consistency and high quality delivery by CGI, which ensures trusted partnership. Another important asset I see is the role of CGI as an active multiplier of services/products and mental models in broader business and political communities.” Mr. Bror Salmelin, Advisor to Directorate General, DG CONNECT

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