« When it comes to innovation classification, I’ve seen nothing better and more useful than Bpifrance’s and FING’s Next Generation Innovation. »
Seth Grimes, Business Analytics Strategist

« Next-Generation Innovation » is a framework for recognizing and supporting innovation in the XXIst century, aimed in particular towards public agencies who fund innovation. One of its role is to  make it easier to support business model innovations, social innovations, and in general, innovations that do not rest on technological breakthroughs.

> Download the book (.pdf)

Introduction by Paul-François Fournier (Bpifrance) and Daniel Kaplan (Fing):

To more fully appreciate the existing scope of innovative potential, Bpifrance has joined forces with the Next Generation Internet Foundation (Fing), and assembled a group of entrepreneurs and key innovation stakeholders. Clusters, entrepreneurial networks, administrative regions, researchers, investors, and a dozen startups…many have responded to our call.

Similar findings

In the massive upheaval currently underway in innovation, traditionally distinct classifications have become intertwined: technological/non-technological, product/service/process, incremental/radical innovation… Digital technology is not the sole vector for innovation and growth: BlaBlaCar and Autolib provide innovative mobility services, while Sushi Daily has created 1500 jobs in four years by locating sushi kiosks inside existing supermarkets.

At the same time, the needs of innovators have become increasingly diverse. Some companies need to invest heavily during the start-up phase, while others continually adjust their needs to support various stages of development. Some need financing for pre-planned R&D tasks, while others need it to build an initial user base that will support agile – flexible, responsive – product development.

Changing the rules together

It is time for us to ensure that a greater number of potentially transformative opportunities are not wasted, by finding novel ways for French and European innovation support schemes to foster innovations of all kinds. Bpifrance dedicates itself to this goal, starting with the development of appropriate financial tools.

The book «Next Generation Innovation» positions Bpifrance squarely at the heart of a pivotal drive to transform innovation, innovation policies and support mechanisms. By transforming its own tools and criteria, Bpifrance wishes to be a catalyst for the emergence of new leaders – and thus actively contribute to the economic future of our nation.

The fruit of the collaboration between Bpifrance, Fing and the French innovation ecosystem is now in your hands. This book gives readers the big picture of next generation innovation, and the needs of the new generation of innovators. As a benchmark reference guide intended to help readers identify and analyse an innovative project (of any kind), the present work chooses not to classify projects using rigid categories, but rather organises project analysis around two common questions: What is new about the project? and how does it set the company apart from the competition?

We would like to thank those who have contributed to the first edition of this work. This collective reference manual now belongs to every innovation actor in Europe; we hope that each of you will want to share and improve upon it, so that the range of possibilities it explores becomes even wider, and a common vision of innovation – next generation innovation – emerges!