Bilan intermediaire du Programme suisse d'action CIM 1992

The Federal Office for Economic Policy (Bundesanstalt für Konjunkturfragen) launched a programme in 1989, which is aiming at the promotion of competitiveness in Swiss industry as a result of the diffusion of the CIM technologies. In order to achieve this goal, two main measures were developed: the establishment of seven training centers (CBZ, CIM-Bildungszentren)and financial support to specific CIM-research-projects. This programme involves many Swiss actors (regional government, universities, schools, SMEs, big companies and so forth) and will stop in 1996. The Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI, Institut für Systemtechnik und Innovationsforschung), in cooperation with the Interface Institute, has evaluated the implementation phase of the programme. About 60 face-to-face interviews and 80 telephone interviews took place to assess the prime development of the CBZs (supply of services concerning training courses; R&D projects and consultancy; quality of the internal org anisation; resonance among Swiss industry). The seven CBZs have developed numerous activities during this launching period, which are consistent with the objectives of the programme. This first phase can be held to be successful. Nevertheless, a classification of the CBZs put the stress on the weakness of three of them. The evaluators mentioned as well necessary improvements of the programme management and warned against potential risks which could endanger the success of the programme.