Abstract:

1 Introducing the Project International Monitoring
The R&D-Project “International Monitoring” (2007-2011) is monitoring the Program of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research “Working, Learning and Developing Competencies. Potential for Innovation in a modern Working Environment”. Main focus lays on different contradictory contexts, e.g. competition vs. cooperation.
These are characterising the challenges a lot of countries are facing in the future. To be able to rise to this challenge, it is important to have a look at technical and social innovations. That is the reason why the research in the International Monitoring always uses the H-O-T-approach. That means Humans first, than the Organisations and afterwards the Technology.
That leads to the two different hypotheses, which are structuring the research.
Hypothesis 1: To overcome contradictory contexts innovative approaches are needed.
Hypothesis 2: If there are innovative approaches, it should be possible to form rules for being innovative.

2 Subgoals in the International Monitoring
The 1st sub-goal targets on structuring the defined contradictory contexts within the programme and identification and evaluation of future contradictory contexts in the national and international correlation. Therefore it is necessary to anticipate, how the future development present itself: All future scenarios agree in the perspective 2020: China, India, Americas (North and South) and Europe together with Russia will be the stamping economic areas in the future.
Research questions: Which national and international scientific methods and instruments may be applied in the contradictory contexts and can be identified, verified and evaluated?
The 2nd sub-goal contains the identification of national and international solutions, their adaption and utilization on the basis of the perspectives of Individuals, Organisation, Network and Society.
Research questions: What can the used methods and instruments in the Fields of Action (FA) 1-8 contribute to the identification of solutions, their adaption and utilization for the different target groups?
The intent of 3rd sub-goal is the transfer of national problem solving to specific target groups concerning the addressed contradictory contexts.To accomplish opinion leadership means to transfer solutions and attempts for the reduction of dilemmas strictly into the applied research and the operational reality.
Research questions: How can research results be prepared for the different target groups? How can recommended course of action be given? How can it be managed that the results generate broad effects?

3 International Monitoring - Toolbox
To gain these goals an elaborated research design with different methods and instruments was developed.
FA 1 and FA 5: International and National Monitoring of Contradictory Contexts
FA 2: International Comparison
FA 3: National and International Excursions
FA 4: Summer and Winter Schools
FA 6: Trend Studies
FA 7: International Panel
FA 8: National Expert Study Group
By using this research design it is possible to find out which components embarrass or bring forward innovation. Moreover it is possible to derive rules for being innovative.
To be able to transfer international knowledge into society and different research communities the FA are varying their focus.

4 First Results to find an Innovation Rule
We are looking forward to present the first results in Madrid to you.

Keywords:

innovation, social innovation, future, working, learning, developing skills, 2030.