This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at La innovación, factor clave para el éxito en la internacionalización de las empresas de tecnología sanitaria

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As it gives off of the 'Study of Innovation in the Sector of Sanitary ware Technology', elaborated by Fenin and the Spanish Platform of Innovation in Sanitary ware Technology

The innovation, key factor for the success in the internationalisation of the companies of sanitary ware technology

Editorial Interempresas04/01/2013

In spite of that the innovation finds in his worst moment, with a descent generalised of the public cost in R&D, the half cost in innovation of the companies, that have participated and as they ascertain the 118 companies that have declared to do innovation, situates in 9,5%, being this a factor of decisive growth to prosper in the market, as it gives off of the study elaborated by the Spanish Federation of Companies of Sanitary ware Technology (Fenin) and the Spanish Platform of Innovation in Sanitary ware Technology on the 'Innovation in the Sector of Sanitary ware Technology', whose main conclusions presented the past 5 December in the headquarters of the Centre for Industrial Technology Development (CDTI).

Photo: Zern Liew.

In fact, while the national trade is almost stagnated or in recession, the export of the innovative companies grows thrice more quickly, as it explains the president of Fenin, Daniel Carreño. “This tendency puts of relief the bet of the Federation by the internationalisation of the companies of the sector like engine of growth and business development. Open way in the external market is not easy, therefore, from Fenin explain the necessary instruments to help them to export the mark Spain and position out of our borders”.

In words of Jordi Pujol, president of the Commission of Innovation of Fenin, “innovar successfully and sell in the external markets is of enormous importance to ensure the development of the companies, especially in moments of crisis with strong shrinking of the internal demand”.

Antiquity by size of the companies that innovan. Characterisation by antiquity and size of the sample. Source: Fenin.

Bet by innovation

The innovation is not an easy way, as well they know the Spanish companies of the sector of Sanitary ware Technology. 38% of the respondents manifest to have difficulties to obtain financial resources, whereas 35% appeals to the high cost of innovar in sanitary ware technology and 32% accuses to a mostly dominated market by big companies.

In spite of the existent difficulties, “the experience confirms the need of new formulas of business that allow to increase the investment in innovation, improve the efficiency without that it go in in risk the quality of the provision, optimise the productivity and enter indicators to measure the results in health”, clears Jordi Pujol.

The study elaborated by Fenin and the Platform analyses the success in innovation of the sector of Sanitary ware Technology, this is, the potentiality to develop new products, services or improvement of processes and his capacity to commercialise them successfully. In this sense, the data of the report evidencian that, by size, the most successful companies in matter of innovation are the ones of average size, gone on down the small and in last place the big.

Likewise, the main reasons that carry to the companies to innovar are the demand of products and services no satisfied (42%), the new opportunities of diversification to go in in new markets (40%), the new technologies that allow applications asistenciales and commercial, as well as the increase of the pressesure by part of the competitors (29%). It surprises, nevertheless, it signals Pujol, “that one of the less valued reasons, with 13%, was the demands of the National System of Health through public contests”.

Finally, the strategies to promote the technological innovation differ of some companies to others, although the most valued formulas in the sector are the development of innovative products to world-wide level (58%), the development of innovative products for export (46%) and the new models of business and/or new channels of commercialisation (44%). Regarding the sources of financials chosen by this type of companies stand out the own bottoms (42%), public (41%) and European (14%), followed of the bottoms of private and main capital risk, with 3%.

Turnover in sales and manufacture of the sample of innovative companies of the sample. Source: Fenin.

Fenin, commitment with the innovation

The support of Fenin to the companies of the sector of Sanitary ware Technology materialises through different actions of promotion in collaboration with public and private institutions, like the integration in the Alliance by the Investigation and the Innovation in the Health (Alinnsa), the Spanish Platform of Innovation in Sanitary ware Technology and the Commission of Innovation, are some of the tools set up by Fenin to disposal of the associated to open step in an increasingly competitive sector.

On the other hand and aiming to the internationalisation of the Spanish sanitary ware technology, Fenin orients to the companies of the sector to the external markets that present greater opportunities of business. “We Llevar different actions of support to the internationalisation between them the sectorial plans of export in collaboration with the ICEX-Spain Export and Investments, with the one who work to promote the internationalisation of the companies”. Also we exert like source of information of the sector, regarding changes regulatorios and commercial appearances”, explains Margarita Alfonsel, general secretary of Fenin “In fact, in the last 2 and 3 years have detected a greater interest of the companies by the internationalisation”. In the actuality, 60% of the national companies export his products with a figure of business that round the 1.800 million euros.