Sources of innovation and ideas in ICT Firms in Australia

This paper examines a sample of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) firms in Australia drawn from a wide range of product and service providers throughout the Sydney region. It researches the sources of information and ideas that firms utilise to sustain their competitive position through innovation. While the firms in the survey varied in size in terms of turnover, number of employees, and level of business activity most see themselves as innovative but not all firms utilise the same sources of ideas; and few use Research and Technology Organizations (RTO) or other publicly funded sources of information. While ICT firms are often regarded as leading edge developers of new ideas, this research indicated that ICT firms when compared to traditional industries still see their sales force, customers and suppliers as the most important sources of knowledge and ideas. While research and technology organisations and universities are often put forward as critical sources of new ideas for ICT, this research found that there was limited use by ICT firms of these organisations.