Innovation is change that creates a new dimension of performance and to innovate is to turn change into opportunity. Systematic innovation therefore consists in the purposeful and organized search for changes, and in the systematic analysis of the opportunities such changes might offer for economic or social innovation.
INNOSUTRA looks at innovation processes in Surface Transport – how the innovation process in transport markets evolves, with the aim of analysing how the market take-up of beneficial innovative concepts can be improved. A key focus is on the assessment of conditions, including policy analysis, under which innovative concepts have a high chance of getting adopted and being successful.

The main objective of the INNOSUTRA project is ‘to assess the conditions, including policy support, under which innovative concepts have a high chance of getting adopted and being successful’. Work starts from the state-of-the-art and results attained in previous research projects and actions dealing with innovation processes, not only at European but often also at national or regional level. The paths new innovative concepts usually follow, key determinants, actors involved, and what policy has been doing and can do are identified. A typology of variables is established, which determine the possible path options. This is the basis for the identification of successful adoption paths. Illustrations are made of the performance of innovative concepts in the transport sector, covering the maritime and port, land and integrated transport sectors, fitting each time into one of the typology cells. Clear policy recommendations, best practices, barriers to implementation and transferability of innovative concepts and processes are the ultimate goal.

Developments in assessment methods, complementary tools and a methodological framework for innovative concepts are introduced. Stakeholder consultation, collaboration and dissemination is a strong thread running through the whole of the research as a means of obtaining information, stimulating new thinking, providing feedback through peer review and strengthening the link between research and policy making.