Business innovationin Research & Innovation
A broad evolutionary development of electronic business has been taking place across the globe since the mid-1990s. This development, though not visibly revolutionary in character, has been very powerful in its impact, and the maturity of e-business has substantially increased across sectors and regions – so much that e-business today is not a special concept anymore but a ubiquitous phenomenon. Technological development and competitive pressure continue to be key drivers. While the search for opportunities to cut costs is still a valid motive for e-business activity, innovative firms exploit the potential of ICT for fulfilling key business objectives; they use ICT for producing and delivering quality goods and services, facilitating quality management as well as improving marketing and customer service.
empirica was one of the first companies in Europe to offer in-depth research and consulting services in the field of e-commerce – as it was named in early years – and e-business. From 2002 to 2010, empirica co-ordinated the groundbreaking e-Business Watch study on behalf of the European Commission’s General Directorate Enterprise and Industry. This pioneering study collected and analysed data about ICT use and e-business impact in more than 30 business sectors, including sectors as diverse as – to name just a few – food, steel, chemicals, electronics, energy supply, banking, retail, and tourism. The study analysed e-business with a multitude of methods, also including econometric methods and game theory analysis. Beyond the e-Business Watch, empirica carried out many other studies in the field of business innovation for national and international clients.
Managing large-scale enterprise surveys as well as case studies, analysing related data and formulating policy recommendations is thus one of empirica’s core expertises.
