The history of CINet

The Continuous Innovation Network (CINet) is a global network set up to bring together researchers and industrialists working in the field of Continuous Innovation. CINet is a continuation of the European Continuous Improvement Network, which started as a Eureka project (EU 1222) in 1994.

After nearly five years of activity, the mission of EuroCINet was reformulated and its name changed into CINet, a research network on Continuous Innovation. The change facilitates the dissemination, not just at European but also at a global level, of a new way of thinking about the integrated management and organization of day-to-day operations, improvement and learning, and innovation and change. The underlying idea is that organizations in the future will rely more and more on individuals and their commitment to learning and diffused innovation at all levels and in all parts of the organization, as the basis for economically and socially sustainable development.

The research vision of the CINet provides more detail on the products and processes of the network. A paper entitled Lessons from and for a Community of Practice by Harry Boer and Jeannette Visser-Groeneveld (presented at the 8th Annual Conference in Gothenburg) also provides some interesting historical details.

In view of the current membership of the CINet, the adjective 'global' implies that the network is open to new membership from all over the world. If you are interested in joining please contact us!