Abstract:

Purpose:
The purpose of this paper is to show a new methodical strategic approach for driving digitalization in regions by involving actors from industry, especially SMEs, academia and government-related or municipal institutions. Collectively developed 4.0-scenarios from our approach can be used either as open take home ideas fitting into individual IT strategies or e.g. as platforms for future public funded common research and development projects.

Design/Methodology/Approach
Initiated in 2015 by the Nuremberg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) twenty-five Industry 4.0 (I4.0) competent representatives from universities, extramural research institutions, regional clusters, business support organisations and IT-companies have been invited to a I4.0-workshop moderated by this paper’s author. As all parties contribute with their (even tacit) knowledge to a collective workshop success, the results are declared open to all parties right from the beginning. A combination of SWOT analysis and Strategy Mapping is carried out in a
new shape for bringing experts’ knowledge to the road.

Findings
By using the methodology described, four regional Strategic I4.0-Themes have been identified for the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region (NMR) from the experts’ SWOT analysis, serving as input for a regional Strategy Map. Also, strategic objectives identified by SWOT analysis are taken to finalize it, contributing to a ‘all-at-glance‘ strategic architecture for both projects and initiatives. Key projects and a comprehensive flagship project are derived by Nuremberg’s CCI both according to the cross-sectional project character, their leverage effect for differentiation and CCI’s personell capacities. Focusing the flagship project – a regional I4.0 maturity check in the NMR – it can be shown that NMR’s average Industry 4.0 maturity level as an overarching indicator for the region’s digital development has increased by nearly 50% from 2016 to 2019 even before Covid-19.

Originality/Value:
Our case study supports policy makers, regional deciders and relevant parties in university-industry-government interactions. By introducing the methodology shown as a new strategic method for moderating larger groups, its application seems not being restricted to digital transformation, but can serve as a general tool for strategic innovation in a (not necessarily) metropolitan region.

Keywords:

4.0, digital transformation, industry-science-government interactions, SMEs, strategy maps, regional innovation, regional development