Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry. Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L.

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION IN THE CERAMIC TILE INDUSTRY CASE STUDY: STRUKER PORCELANICO.S.L Author: Enrique García Aguilella Tutor: Francesc Xavier Molina Morales DEGREE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AE1049FINAL PROJECT WORK ACADEMIC COURSE: 2019-2020 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. INDEX TABLE OF CHARTS: Chart 1: Reference to indicators of skills of a creative person, according to the concepts of Ponti and Ferrás (2008)..................................................................................12 Chart 2: Obstacles on a personal level……………………………………………………….. 14 Chart 3: Contextual Obstacles…………………………………………………………………..15 Chart 4 : Main production areas of ceramics 2015…………………………………………..29 Chart 5 : Main export areas of ceramics 2015……………………………………………….. 30 Chart 6: Main production areas of ceramics 2018…………………………………………...31 Chart 7 : Main export areas of ceramics 2015……………………………………………….. 32 Chart 8: TOP 10 ceramic producing countries………………………………………………. 33 Chart 9: TOP 10 ceramic exporting countries………………………………………………. 34 Chart 10: Average prices per m2 of ceramics……………………………………………….. 34 Chart 11: Spanish ceramic tile industry……………………………………………………....37 Chart 12: TOP 10 target countries……………………………………………………………... 38 Chart 13: Assessment on the main trends in these years in the ceramic industry…... 42 TABLE OF PICTURES Picture 1: Some Methods of Lateral Thinking (Edward de Bono)................................... 18 Picture 2: From the high wheel bike to the safety bike……………………………………..22 Picture 3: Evolution of the iphone mobile phones…………………………………………..23 Picture 4: The innovation funnel……………………………………………………………….. 25 Picture 5: 3M's company logo( Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing ).........................26 Picture 6: Museu del Taulell “Manolo Safont”..................................................................36 Picture 7: Castellon ceramics industrial district……………………………………………..40 Picture 8: Spraying machine in a ceramic company……………………………………….. 45 Picture 9: Ceramic press………………………………………………………………………....46 2 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. Picture 10: Ceramic ovens………………………………………………………………………. 47 Picture 11: Struker facilities in Onda…………………………………………………………..48 Picture 12: Struker facilities in Onda…………………………………………………………..48 Picture 13: Adapting products to each customer's needs………………………………...49 Picture 14: Baños 10 logo……………………………………………………….……………….52 Picture 15: SW Shower…………………………………………………………………………...52 Picture 16: Manufacturers of inkjet printer for ceramic tiles……………………………....57 Picture 17: Kerajet ceramic printer……………………………………………………………..58 TABLE OF GRAPHS Graph 1: Organisational Structure Struker…………………………………………………... 50 Graph 2: Percentage of foreign sales 2019…………………………………………………... 51 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………….. 6 2. CONCEPT DEFINITION…………………………………………………………………………. 7 2.1 Change…………………………………………………………………………………………....7 2.1.1 Concept………………………………………………………………………………………... 8 2.1.2 Organizational Change……………………………………………………………………... 8 2.1.3 Models of organizational change…………………………………………………………. 9 2.1.4 Adaptation and resistance to change…………………………………………………...10 2.2 Creation………………………………………………………………………………………....11 2.2.1 Concept………………………………………………………………………………………. 11 2.2.2 Personal competences and skills of the creative person…………………………... 11 2.2.3 Barriers to creativity……………………………………………………………………….. 12 2.2.4 Methods and tools to promote creativity………………………………………………. 15 2.3 Innovation……………………………………………………………………………………....18 3 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. 2.3.1 Concept………………………………………………………………………………………. 19 2.3.1.1 Product innovation………………………………………………………………………….20 2.3.1.2 Process innovation………………………………………………………………………....20 2.3.1.3 Innovation in Marketing………………………………………………………………….... 20 2.3.1.4 Innovation in Organization………………………………………………………………... 21 2.3.2 Types of innovation…………………………………………………………………...…....21 2.3.2.1 Innovations according to their degree of novelty………………………………………..21 2.3.2.2 Innovation according to the relationships among the components that make up a product………………………………………………………………………………………………..22 2.3.2.3 Competence-enhancing innovation versus competence-destroying innovation……. 23 2.3.2.4 Disruptive innovation and sustaining or supporting innovation……………………….23 2.3.3 The importance of innovation and its systematization for a company…………... 24 2.3.4 Phases of innovation……………………………………………………………………….26 2.4 The relationship between change, creativity and innovation………………………... 28 3. CERAMIC INDUSTRY………………………………………………………………………….. 29 3.1 Global situation of the ceramic sector....……………………………………………….... 29 3.2 Spanish ceramic industry…………………………………………………………………... 35 3.2.1 History of Spanish ceramics……………………………………………………………... 35 3.2.2 Situation of the Spanish ceramic sector in the international market……………...37 3.2.3 Cluster in the Spanish ceramic sector…………………………………………………. 39 3.2.3.1 Theoretical concept………………………………………………………………………...39 3.2.3.2 The ceramic tile cluster in Castellón…………………………………………………….. 39 3.2.4 Innovation and trends in the Spanish ceramic sector………………………………. 41 3.3 The product……………………………………………………………………………………. 43 3.3.1 Ceramic characteristics…………………………………………………………………....43 3.3.2 Tile typology………………………………………………………………………………… 44 3.3.3 Manufacturing process……………………………………………………………………. 45 3.4 The company : STRUKER PORCELANICO S.l…………………………………………...47 3.4.1 History and characteristics of the company…………………………………………...48 4 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. 3.4.2 SWOT analysis of the company…………………………………………………………. 53 4. INNOVATION: DIGITAL PRINTING (INKJET) APPLIED TO CERAMICS…………...…..55 4.1 Definition of the INKJET technique……………………………………………………….. 55 4.2 Inkjet technology applied to the ceramic sector………………………………………...56 4.3 Incorporation of Ceramic Inkjet Technology into Struker…………………………….. 59 5. CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………………... 60 5.1 Theoretical concepts……………………………………………………………………….... 60 5.2 Ceramic sector………………………………………………………………………………... 60 5.3 The company and the innovation implemented………………………………………....61 6.BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES……………………………………………………………...62 5 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. 1. INTRODUCTION The world we live in today is a globalized world, where events are happening faster and faster, businesses are increasingly competitive, and customers are much more specialized and expect a high performance of the product they purchase. All these aspects together make it necessary for companies to differentiate themselves from their competitors, and one of the ways they can choose to create this competitive advantage is by using innovative tools. It is currently very difficult for a company to survive in such a competitive environment without differentiating itself from its most direct competitors. These advantages we are talking about are necessary even in the most mature sectors, such as the one we will analyse in this paper, the ceramic sector. In this project we will try to understand the importance of concepts such as change, creativity and innovation, and the relationship between these three, understanding them as parts of a process, discussing the importance they can bring to a company in such a competitive sector as the ceramic industry. We will analyze the industry and the weight that the Cluster of Castellón has on it, developing here 95% of the national activities of this sector. In order to try to know, in a more practical way, the implantation of the innovations in companies of the sector, we will study a practical case of how a small company integrated in the Cluster of Castellón tries to differ from the competition by means of the adoption of one of the last technical applications of the sector. Specifically, we talk about the company Struker, a small company but with a high desire to innovate, giving an example of how it is possible for a small company to survive against large existing firms in the sector, thanks to innovation. The implementation of LaserJet technology in the company and its development will help us to understand the importance of innovations in quality and design, and why the Spanish ceramic industry has been a world leader in these aspects for several years, differentiating itself from other world powers and becoming one of the world powers in the ceramic sector. 6 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. 2. CONCEPT DEFINITION A good way of understanding that innovation cannot be left at random and that other concepts, such as creativity and change, are closely related to that term is the story he tells us in his work (Ordoñez, 2010) about a French artist. Louis Daguerre, a French painter who was not much in the media, but who was an enterprising and daring man who always faced his economic adversities with an innovative character, was at his residence in London in 1835, tired of investing hours and hours of effort trying to fix photographic images taken with a camera obscura (what would eventually be known as the Daguerreotype, which consists of forming the image on a silver surface polished like a mirror). Louis lost his patience completely, he was disconsolate and discouraged because he had tried many materials to achieve this revolutionary photographic procedure with the same result, failure. Daguerre definitely kept the plates and chemicals in a closet and thought about doing something else. After a few days, he took the plates out of the cabinet again and the images appeared clear because the mercury of a thermometer spilled on them by chance had fixed them. This time luck was on his side and he managed to discover the properties of mercury, what led him to invent this type of rudimentary photography. As we mentioned earlier, it would be called Daguerreotype in his honour, an invention that would eventually produce both cultural and economic changes at that time. On the other hand, nowadays, due to the increase of the speed existing in society when creating new technologies and inventions in any of the fields and sectors of the economy, companies cannot afford to wait for the help of chance, as it was the case of the French painter. The changes in the market do not give time to anyone, and the options to combat them are to offer resistance or to respond to them with an attitude of change, creativity, and innovation. The latter will be the terms that we will define next, as they will help us to understand better this study. 2.1 Change In these times in which we find ourselves, fewer and fewer companies are trying to maintain stability, and those that seek it, end up coming to a standstill without progressing in the quality of their products and, consequently, this factor is reflected in the fall of their sales. In 7 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. this era change is part of everyday life, or as Ordoñez (2010, p.17) indicates "change is the hallmark of life today, and whoever resists it will inevitably be out of system". He also tells us that "everything that seems unchangeable can be changed radically”. Therefore, when those people who occupy high executive positions and must take decisions in an organization try to stop these changes, they will end up producing negative consequences, both for themselves, since it may lead them to lose their jobs, and for the company, since it may suffer a disadvantage compared to its competitors if they are not aware of new dynamics or changes. 2.1.1 Concept The causes of change in a company can be external, which are those that correspond to changes that are caused by factors external to the organization, or internal corresponding to changes generated from within the organization itself. In this case, we are going to contextualize this concept in a framework where the main cause of it is internal, and this is Innovation. We can understand change at a business level, as Duarte (2008, p.1) explains, as "the process by which a certain state of things is succeeded by another state". From this basic and general definition, each field of human knowledge adapts a concept of change that is appropriate to it, so we can talk about this concept not only in terms of business change, as it is our case, but also in biology, philosophy, medicine or many other terms. 2.1.2 Organizational Change In our case we have to take into account that the change will be produced by the adoption of an innovation, either at a productive level or at an organizational level, which can generate what we call an organizational change in the company. What do we mean by organizational change? It was defined by Malott (2001, p.16) "as a constant state of alteration, variation or modification" Such change, according to (Chiavenato, 2002) can be a modification that occurs in the work environment, translated into innovation in current organizations. From the point of view of these definitions, we can associate change with the capacity of adaptation that companies or organizations have in the face of the transformations that occur in the internal environment as well as in the external one. On the other hand, for Barroso and Delgado (2000, p.126) "the change is a modification of the way of working that generates a leading role in the human resource and a real and expressed need of the individuals to accept it". With this definition we can deduce that 8 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. change can be examined from several different points of view, such as organizational culture, strategy, political, structural and technological aspects and finally, from the behaviour of human beings, since their actions define the acceptance or rejection of organizational change processes. Acosta (2002) indicates other reasons different from innovation for which an organizational change can occur, such as new administrative trends, environmental pressures, financial problems and market accommodation, strategic alliances, new technologies, transformations in the social, political and economic environment, world politics and global competition, among others. 2.1.3 Models of organizational change With respect to the Models of organizational change, authors such as Novoa (2000) consider that the complexity of change, apart from the number of employees belonging to the company (the greater the number of employees, the more complex it is), comes from the types of models of change because there are some that allow convenient explanations and predict behaviour and others that do not. The author points out four broad models, each composed of several components. The first model is the Humanist model, which depends on: people's change, currently considering a participatory management, therefore, leadership through communication and participation in decision making employees' commitment in an enabling environment; organizational development that usually begins with a diagnosis of culture and, then, establish a vision of change with the management; human development, which must take into account both individual and group aspects, emphasizing people's progress; self-directed or high-performance teams : the role of the managers for these teams is simply to transmit to them the knowledge they have acquired previously so that they can take the leadership in their own work and train them in their process of self-management. The second model is based on the concepts of effectiveness and efficiency, as well as aspects related to quality management, such as the ISO 9000 standards, which provide a set of guidelines, concepts and orientations for planning, organization and control. Therefore, as we can see, this second model considers the elements involved in changes focused on administrative changes fundamental. The third model is the process improvement model, which takes into 9 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. produces less than 1% of all creative ideas and is described as step-less, pattern-less, issue-centered, a process that employs simple and individually intensive methods. In this study we have collected some of the most important tools to promote creativity created by different authors, among them we can highlight: Brainstorming This is a tool to put into practice in a group, created by (Osborn, 1954) , whose purpose is to generate as many ideas as possible about a particular problem or situation in a relaxed work environment. This tool of exchanging ideas has been proven to be very effective. Osborn concluded that a group of people working together develop more and better creative ideas, as long as they are based on a series of rules and norms of respect and, above all, avoiding conflict. In his case, Osborn avoided the closure of his agency thanks in part to the tool he created. This technique of creative thinking seems to have been in use since 1919. Years later, the term Brainstorming was included in Webster`s International Dictionary, which defines it as: "The practice of a conference technique in which a group of people seeks the solution to a specific problem, gathering all the ideas contributed spontaneously by its members". Random words or free association This tool was designed or invented by the sociologists (Kent and Rozanoff, 1910), who came up with many words that were related to the production of creative motivation. This technique consists of incorporating all kinds of ideas by forging a relationship between a randomly searched term and the problem in question that we want to solve. Let's take an example in which unemployment is defined as the main problem, trying to counteract it with entrepreneurship. Two commonly used examples are the lack of positive, constructive and creative business thinking for the sector, and the minimal use of business management techniques and principles. Once the main problem has been established, in addition to some practices, a word is chosen at random, either by picking a page number from an encyclopedia or from a dictionary. Once the word has been chosen, the aim is to find all kinds of connections between the word and the problem to be solved, until an optimum solution is found. 16 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. Thinking and saying This tool belongs to a type of structured creativity, it is a simple form of analysis of other ideas that facilitates the understanding of many more people. It is normally used in groups and consists of raising a main business idea and, next, three columns are drawn on a sheet of paper. In the first of these, a member of the group expresses his or her idea or solution to the problem in a non-specific way, so that it can be understood by any member of the group; in the next column, the name of the person who has written this idea, which we have just mentioned, is notified; and finally, another member of the group receives this same sheet of paper, tries to identify the solution provided by his or her partner in column one, and finally, writes down what he or she thinks at that very moment, in order to help solve the problem by providing some new concepts or rectifying that of his or her partner. It is an appropriate technique to measure people's creative potential and ability to concentrate on or understand what is being said or explained. Lateral thinking Method developed by Edward De Bono (De Bono, 1992) which was exposed in his Manual of Creativity, where we can find many of the practices of the present time as for the promotion of the creativity. These practices can be seen next in the Picture 1. According to De Bono, in this method information is used not as an end but as a means, and it is the basis of creativity. Lateral thinking encourages the emergence of new ideas for the logical elaboration of thought. Figuratively, as De Bono (1993, p.3) says, "vertical thinking gives more depth to a hole already started; the side starts a new hole". If we look for a more concrete definition of lateral thinking in this author's Manual of Creativity, we find that this is a creative thinking that is basically a different way of thinking without using logic, although this may seem irrational. The author himself affirms that logical thinking has only one direction, it follows the path that he himself traces, while lateral thinking has a multitude of ways to come to a solution through different paths from those of logical thinking. On the other hand, he also states that both types of thinking are equally necessary; lateral, creative thinking is for creating ideas, and logical thinking is for developing these same ideas. 17 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. Picture 1: Some Methods of Lateral Thinking (Edward de Bono) Source: Creatividad e innovación para el desarrollo empresarial (Horacio Murcia) 2.3 Innovation Returning to the study of ( Ordoñez, 2010 ) we can understand that the clearest contribution of innovation to an organization, is that it can allow us to create competitive advantages, with the possibility of creating a differentiated product and going one step ahead of the competition. The growing importance of innovation is a fact today with the existence of such competitive markets where customers are increasingly sophisticated, segmented and exclusive. But turning innovation into a reality is not easy, if we investigate, this same difficulty has its origin in a contradiction, since people want innovation, but at the same time they also continue to show resistance to this and the new processes that it entails. So in organizations and in the person itself, there are contradictory attitudes acting, some as brakes for innovation and others as accelerators. In order to enhance these accelerators and try to reduce the effect of standstill by some elements of the enterprise, it is important to understand the political map of the company and to anticipate the internal and external consequences of the new changes brought about by these innovations. We cannot forget that not every change is positive for an organization, the irruption of any change can lead to internal power conflicts and small cold wars among departments. Therefore, it will be necessary to test the innovation itself, the newness must be kept in perfect alignment with the strategic direction of the company. It will be necessary 18 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. to analyse its compatibility with the business and to do so in a comprehensive manner, ranging from external aspects, such as consumption patterns or distribution networks in the same market, to more internal aspects, such as the financial capacity of the company, commercial development or brand image. As we can see, the implementation of innovation cannot be left to chance, since many factors have to be taken into account for it to be successfully implemented in an organization. 2.3.1 Concept The Oslo Manual is a guide for the measurement and study of scientific and technological activities that defines concepts and clarifies activities considered as innovative. As it indicates in its introduction to the 2005 edition, the definitions contained therein can serve as a guidance for research transfer activities, given that their definitions have been adopted in Spanish legislation on incentives for innovation and are a reference for public bodies. This manual defines the main concept of innovation together with four different types of innovations which will be explained later: product, process, marketing and organization. It applies to both industry and services, including service utility companies. The Manual suggests that the usual links among business, suppliers and customers are extended in the innovation process to other relationships with research centres, higher education and public and private development agencies. As we can see in the 2005 edition of The Oslo Manual (OCDE), "An innovation is either the implementation of a new or significantly improved product (good or service), or process, or a new business method or a new method in business practice, work organization or external relations". It also points out that "The minimum requirement to be considered an innovation is that the product, process, business method or organizational method must be new (or significantly improved) for the company. This includes products, processes and methods that companies are developing for the first time and those that are adapted from other companies or organizations. Years later, in the 2018 edition of The Oslo Manual (OCDE), we find a similar new concept of definition: "An innovation is a new or improved product or process, or combination of both, that differs significantly from the unit's previous products or processes,and which are made available to potential users or have been put into use by the unit. 19 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. Following with the concepts found in The Oslo Manual, we are going to define the four types of innovation according to the scope of the organization it covers: 2.3.1.1 Product innovation Adapted from The Oslo Manual (2018, p.58) "It provides a new or significantly improved good or service in terms of technical characteristics or in terms of use or other functionalities. The improvement is achieved with knowledge or technology, with improvements in materials and components, or with integrated computing". In order to be considered an innovation, a product must present characteristics, uses and efficiency differentiated from previous products in the company, also including improvements in terms of time or service. 2.3.1.2 Process innovation Adapted from The Oslo Manual (2018, p.59), it is the "Concept applied to both production and distribution sectors. It is achieved by significant changes in the techniques, materials and/or software used, which are aimed at reducing unit production or distribution costs, improving quality, or producing or distributing new or significantly improved products". New or significantly improved techniques, equipment and software used in ancillary support activities, such as purchasing, accounting or maintenance, would also be included as process innovations. The introduction of a new, or significantly improved, information and communication technology (ICT) is a process innovation if it is intended to improve the efficiency and/or quality of a core support activity. 2.3.1.3 Innovation in Marketing: Adapted from The Oslo Manual (2018, p.60), "It consists of using a marketing method not previously used in the company that may consist of significant changes in design, packaging, positioning, promotion or pricing, always with the aim of increasing sales. Variation in the method has to be a fundamental break with what has been done before" When we refer to changes in positioning, these include direct sales, the development of new sales channels, the creation of franchises and the sale of licenses for use, or modifications in the way the product is displayed. While when we talk about changes in promotion, these involve the modification of the communication system outside the product, using new media. 20 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. We could also include in the changes of promotion, for example, the replacement of the company logo, loyalty systems and personalization of the customer relationship. 2.3.1.4 Innovation in Organization Adapted from The Oslo Manual (2018, p.61), it is "Changes in business practices and procedures, changes in the workplace, in external relations as implementation of strategic decisions with the purpose of improving results by improving productivity or reducing internal transaction costs for customers and suppliers. It is also considered an innovation in the organization, the introduction of management systems for production operations, supply and quality management, as well as the updating of knowledge management. While when we refer to the external factors of the company, we would consider innovation in the organization as any variation in the organization's relationships with customers or suppliers, including research centers and the integration of suppliers or outsourcing activities to external companies. 2.3.2 Types of innovation It is very important to be aware of the classifications of types of innovation because it can help us to examine with a broader view the existing possibilities of an innovation itself and the difficulties that a company may encounter when applying such innovation in its business. We can't treat all innovations the same, because different types require different knowledge and will have different impacts on competitors and customers in an industry. Currently, we can classify innovations according to four aspects: their degree of novelty, according to the relationships among the components that make up a product, Competency Enhancing Innovation versus Competency-Destructive Innovation, and, finally, according to whether it is a disruptive innovation and sustaining innovation or supporting innovation. 2.3.2.1 Innovations according to their degree of novelty According to the degree of novelty of the innovations we will classify them in : Radical or major innovation:  this innovation involves a sudden breakthrough, whether caused by the emergence of a new product or process. The relevant variable of this innovation is that it produces significant improvements in the results, leaving aside the improvement in the costs it entails. In most cases this innovation requires new 21 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. manufacturing techniques and organizational changes, often representing a technological discontinuity. Incremental or gradual innovation (Kaizen)  : It consists of focusing efforts on the improvements of the products or processes already known. It is the one that takes place continuously in any industry, most of the time as a result of learning by doing. While radical innovation is focused on product or process improvements, incremental innovation aims at cost reduction. 2.3.2.2 Innovation according to the relationships among the components that make up a product: According to (Henderson and Clark, 1990), in this classification of innovations we can distinguish between: Modular innovation:  represents a substantial change in the design of a component in a product or system, but the new component design fits comfortably into the previous product configuration. The same relationship structure is maintained. Architectural innovation:  the components are essentially the same but their technical interrelationship shows a greater sophistication. Its configuration is modified. Picture 2: From the high wheel bike to the safety bike Source: Subject “Innovation management in the enterprise” In picture 2, we can see an example of architectural innovation since the components of the two bicycles are the same, only the size of the wheels and some other details differ. Their technical interrelationship offers a greater degree of sophistication, since in the so-called safety bicycle ( on the right in the image ), the posture was much closer to the ground, the wheels were almost the same size and the pedals, connected to a cogwheel through gears and a transmission chain, moved the wheel from behind. Another technical improvement 22 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. was the air chamber whose inner tube is filled with air cushioning part of the knocking against the roads. 2.3.2.3 Competence-enhancing innovation versus competence-destroying innovation This differentiation is one of the easiest to recognize. The Competency-Destructive Innovation is built on the knowledge and skills that a product that we have already developed has been offering to us, such as the evolution of a product like the Iphone as we can see in the picture 3. The Competency-Destructive Innovation is totally the opposite, without adding any improvement to the new product or even making obsolete the skills of the previous product, it is a fairly radical change of a product that tries to cover the same needs, a clear example may be the transition from typewriters to the first computers. Picture 3: Evolution of the iphone mobile phones Source: www.webadictos.com 2.3.2.4 Disruptive innovation and sustaining or supporting innovation Disruptive Innovations: Based on completely new features of a product technology, this new technology can mean something different for the product, such as lower cost or greater ease of use. These types of innovations are extremely revolutionary and discontinuous compared to their predecessors and subject clients and consumers to adopting new references or patterns while discarding existing ones. Supporting (or sustaining) innovations: These innovations are based on the trajectory of a product or technology, trying to improve its performance, offering demanding customers a better operation. As we have mentioned, they are characterized by the continuous 23 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. improvement of the operation of a product or process and are mostly adopted by companies already established in the industry. They are usually based on existing performance dimensions. 2.3.3 The importance of innovation and its systematization for a company Innovation stands out as a very important capability for companies today, so much that it has been positioned as the most important motor for transformation and growth. In the time frame in which we find ourselves right now, with a world that is so globalized and where competitiveness among companies is increasingly greater, it becomes more important that companies are continually innovating or improving their products or services, in order to maintain that competitiveness in a progressively saturated market in which consumers are increasingly demanding to move away from monotonous products. Some more specific concepts that can try to answer questions such as Why is innovation increasingly important? or Why does the company have to be constantly innovating? are, among others, the following: Technology is changing rapidly  , and as we mentioned before we are in a globalized world where everything is constantly developing, also the technologies that can be part of an innovation, because of this, the increase of new competitors with new products is increasing; Decrease of the product life cycle,  the product life cycle is decreasing by leaps and bounds, from 12 to 4 months for software, from 24 to 12 months for computers and consumer electronics, and from 36 to 18 months for large appliances; Customers are becoming more sophisticated and segmented  , these customers are increasingly demanding and expect improvements in terms of novelty, quality, price, and another segment such as product exclusivity. Another concept in response to the above questions would be the rapid creation and change of markets. In conclusion, with markets and technology changing at the rapid pace we have been discussing, there is continuous pressure to come up with new and better products, services and processes more quickly, without wasting the opportunity for a competitor to get ahead of you. On the other hand, this conclusion makes us see the importance for companies to systematize innovation, ensuring a regular flow of innovations, being aware in advance that not all of them will have a successful future due to the risk and uncertainty that are always related to an innovation. 24 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. As we said, many innovative ideas do not necessarily will turn into successful new products. A term which will help us understand this last statement is The Innovation Funnel. According to Camps (2011, p.1), "This term refers to the process that goes from the identification of opportunities to innovate, to the launch of those products or services to the market, which have been overcoming all the filters that we have established to advance through the different phases". The metaphor of the funnel is used in this case as a simile, since on its wider side we introduce a multitude of ideas of which only some will manage to come out on the opposite narrower side and end up going the long way that differentiates an idea from a reality. In picture 4 we can see the idea of the funnel itself captured in an image. There is no single prototype model, as it can have as many phases as we consider. At the end of each phase, we reach a point when we have to decide whether the idea continues to move towards later phases or is rejected, basing this decision on a series of criteria that will have been previously established. Typically, a funnel will contain the following phases with some possible variations: opportunity identification, idea generation, pre-development, development, testing and launch. Picture 4: The innovation funnel  Source:  Blog de Innovación :The Jazz Musician  ( Xavier Camps) One of the companies that puts the systematization of innovation into practice the most is 3M (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing). 3M is a company that essentially deals with surface coating and many of its innovations are variations of sandpaper and abrasives, adhesive tape, or computer storage media. 3M has been perfectly established in its market 25 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. As far as exports are concerned, the continued decline in the European Union's global export figure compared to Asia´s is noteworthy. As it was already the case in 2015, Asia continues to be the world leader in ceramic exports with 51.8% of world exports, but it is still far from its overwhelming dominance as far as ceramic production is concerned, since it is which consumes its own production. As we have mentioned, the European Union continues its escalation with exports getting closer and closer to the Asian continent, going from 31.3% to 33.4% of world exports, thus establishing itself as one of the most exporting areas of ceramics on the planet. Observing chart 7, we should not let go past the great reduction of exports experienced by North America with a negative rate of 12.5% with respect to the previous year, which accumulated to that of the previous year with 6.7%. This reduction in exports may be related to the arrival of Donald Trump to power (2017) and his more protectionist policies and confrontation with other world economic powers. Chart 7 : Main export areas of ceramics 2015 Source:  www.vigilancer.es   ( Lazarus , 2019 ) After making this comparison of world production and exports for years 2015 and 2018, we can better understand the global situation of the ceramic industry in recent years. As we have seen, there is a leading area in the ceramic sector which is Asia, quite different from the second power which is the European Union, and in third place at a short distance from the latter we find Central and Latin America. Although in terms of exports this big difference between Asia and the European Union is quite reduced by the fact that Asia also continues 32 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. to be the world's biggest consumer of ceramics, therefore, much of the ceramics they produce do not leave their borders, while the European Union is a much more exporting region. In fact, its two main producers, which are Spain and Italy, are not among the countries that consume the most ceramics. Continuing with the ceramic study ( Lazaro , 2019) for a more exhaustive analysis of year 2018, we find the following relevant data regarding the world ceramic sector. Analysing by countries which the tile producing powers are, we can see in chart 8 that China is the leading ceramic producing country, representing 43 % of the world production. But in 2018 it had a large contraction with a negative variation rate of 11.2 % due to factors such as the increase in the cost of materials and greater competitiveness on the world market. The other two dominant powers in ceramic production are India and Brazil. Spain, of which we will speak at length later on about its situation in the international tile market, occupies the fifth place, with a production figure slightly higher than Italy, the other European power. Another fact that should be highlighted as regards the production of countries is that the sum of the production of the first ten powers accounts for 80.7% of the total world production, which indicates that the tile sector is fairly centralised. Chart 8: TOP 10 ceramic producing countries Source:  www.vigilancer.es   ( Lazarus , 2019 ) 33 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. As we see in chart 9, the positions change quite a bit when we talk about world exports by country. China is still the leader with a lower figure than its production, with 31.1% of the world exports, but the second and third positions are no longer occupied by Brazil and India, but only by the European tile powers, Spain and Italy. Spain stands out in second place worldwide with 15.1% of total world exports. As it was the case with tile production, the 10 main exporting countries also account for 86.5% of world exports. Chart 9: TOP 10 ceramic exporting countries Source:  www.vigilancer.es   ( Lazarus , 2019 ) Finally we will make an analysis of the average price per square meter in each country, as we can see in chart 10, with which we can make an estimation of the value and quality of the production of tiles in each country. Chart 10: Average prices per m2 of ceramics Source:  www.vigilancer.es   ( Lazarus , 2019 ) 34 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. Looking at the above-mentioned producing powers, which were India, Brazil and China, we can see that of these powers India and Brazil have the lowest prices on the international market, although the latter has had an upward evolution in price in 2018. The Chinese ceramic superpower, on the other hand, has higher prices than the other two but the evolution it has followed has been totally the opposite of Brazil, as it has suffered a decrease in its prices until it has sold the square metre of tiles at 4.4 Euros by 2018. On the other hand, the main European ceramic producers, Italy and Spain, have established themselves in a higher price range, especially and quite prominently Italy, which in 2018 sold the square metre of ceramic at almost 14 Euros. With these data we can understand that, generally, the European ceramic is seen in the international market as a ceramic of better quality and more exclusive than the Asian giant and Brazil´s, which follow a different strategy focusing on price and not on the quality of the product. 3.2 Spanish ceramic industry 3.2.1 History of Spanish ceramics. As the Spanish Association of Manufacturers of Ceramic Tiles and Flooring (ASCER, 2020) tells us, it is difficult to date the first samples of ceramics applied to architecture. We have evidence of the use of tiles by the Egyptians more than 4,600 years ago. The islamization of the Iberian Peninsula was the entrance door of the glazed ceramics in Europe. In Andalucia, in the 13th century, ceramic pavements with a great variety of tones were used, replacing coloured marble. The glazed clay was developed in our country in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, being the Mudejar Art of the city of Teruel and the Alhambra in Granada good evidence of this. The pressure of the Christians in the 15th century made the centre of production of ceramics with metallic reflections move from Malaga to Manises, and this ceramic art flourished between the 14th and 15th centuries in the Valencian Community. From there, it was exported to Venice, Egypt, Syria and Turkey, being Italy the most important customer (Manises became a supplier of the Papacy during the 15th century). It was in the 16th century, from Italy, when its travelling ceramists expanded the new technical findings (polychromy) and the ornamental repertoires of the Renaissance. This 35 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. caused the collapse of the medieval tiles of Manises, generally produced in blue monochrome.With masters from Andalusia or Talavera, the pieces ended up being made in the city of Valencia. This is how the Baroque, Rococo and Classicist tiling of Valencia was born, which lasted until the middle of the 19th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, Valencian production was centred in Manises and Onda, which had training centres from 1916 and 1925, respectively. Finally, the arrival of gas to the tile factories in 1981 meant one of the most important technological changes in the sector. With the use of gas, cleaner combustion gases were obtained, which allowed direct contact of the gas with the product to be fired. We have to add to this the new systems for transporting the material in the kiln. All these changes were key to improve quality, reduce firing times, save energy and increase production. Larger formats were introduced, the first cogeneration plants were born and the glaze industry achieved great relevance worldwide. The "cluster" became established and achieved spectacular growth, becoming the first European and second world producer, leading, together with Italy, the design, quality and trade of ceramic tiles. Nowadays, in the MUSEO DEL AZULEJO "Manolo Safont" ( Onda , Castellón ), there are still outstanding ceramic collections, from the classical period to the present day. (Picture 6) Picture 6: Museu del Taulell “Manolo Safont” Source: Own elaboration 36 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. 3.2.2 Situation of the Spanish ceramic sector in the international market. According to the official data on the Spanish ceramic sector in 2018/19 presented in the study (VIGILANCER, 2020), we are going to know the situation of our country with respect to the world market of tiles. As we have already discussed in the previous section, in recent years Spain has become established as a great exporting power, being in 2018 the second exporting country in the world with more than 15% of the world exports, with 414 million square meters and a growth of 1.7% with respect to the previous year and accumulated to the growth of the previous years, since the Spanish exports have followed an ascending dynamic. On the other hand, as far as production is concerned, Spain is the fifth world producer, only surpassed by China, India, Brazil and Vietnam, which are countries that produce in large quantities without taking into account the quality of the product. As we can see in chart 11, for the coming years, the Spanish ceramic sector shows a downward trend in production but an upward one in sales. To be more specific, Spanish sales increased in 2019 compared to 2018 by 4%, reaching a figure of 3740 million Euros, and production decreased by 5% compared to the previous year, going from 530 to 503 million square metres. An important fact is that exports accounted for approximately 75% of the total Spanish sales in 2019, reaching a figure of around 2,800 million euros, increasing by 3% with respect to 2018. Domestic sales also increased by 8% and could reach a turnover of 940 million euros in 2019. Chart 11: Spanish ceramic tile industry     Source:  www.vigilancer.es ( International Press Conference Tile of SpainASCER, 2020) 37 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. But, how are Spanish tile exports distributed worldwide? Historically, and this has been the case in recent years, Europe is the main market for the Spanish ceramic sector, with more than 50% of our exports going to Europe. In 2019, following a very similar trend to previous years, the main destination of the Spanish ceramic industry was France with an export figure of 302 million Euros, followed in second place by the USA with 278 million Euros. In recent years, especially in 2019, there was a great deal of tile sales, with a positive evolution of 16.9% in 2019 compared to 2018. Exports to Morocco,the neighbouring African country, are also growing by leaps and bounds, with almost the same growth rates as in the USA, reaching a turnover of 93 million euros per year. As mentioned above, in chart 12 we can see that of the 10 main countries to which Spanish production is assigned, 5 of these are France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Portugal, all belonging to the European Union (except for the United Kingdom). Chart 12: TOP 10 target countries Source:  www.vigilancer.es ( International Press Conference Tile of SpainASCER, 2020) 38 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. 3.2.3 Cluster in the Spanish ceramic sector 3.2.3.1 Theoretical concept The concept of "Cluster" was popularized by Michel Porter, (1993, p.73) in his book The Competitive Advantage of Nations, referring to "a geographically proximate group of interconnected companies and associated institutions, in a particular field, linked by common and complementary characteristics, including companies of final products or services, suppliers, financial institutions and companies of related industries", and adds that "the competitiveness of a region is based on the competitiveness of its industries which in turn is improved if an industry is immersed in a deep network". Based on the study of the theoretical concept (ACTUALIDAD EMPRESA, 2004), we understand that clusters also serve to increase competition, collaboration and informal links among companies and institutions. They generally bring together a wide range of industries and other entities such as suppliers, distribution channels, customers, manufacturers of complementary products and companies from industries related to the activities to which the sector itself is dedicated to. These are concentrations of companies specialised in the same sector, whose interrelationship dynamics justifies the increase in productivity and efficiency, the reduction of transaction costs and the acceleration of learning, as well as the dissemination of knowledge. As we have previously mentioned, a cluster is not only composed of companies from the same industrial area, it is necessary to include higher and technical education institutions, suppliers and associations, with the government playing a fundamental role by assuming the leadership for the attraction of new organizations and the growth of existing ones. 3.2.3.2 The ceramic tile cluster in Castellón According to the study (IVEX, 2011), in Spain, the ceramic activity is strongly concentrated in the Valencian Community, specifically in the province of Castellón, either in terms of the number of companies, workers or operating income. Production has doubled in the last ten years, and is mainly assigned for exports (approximately 55%), in particular to the United States, Saudi Arabia, France and Great Britain. 39 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. Castellón concentrates 94.5% of national production. Furthermore, in the economy of the Valencian Community, the ceramic sector occupies a prominent position, representing a little more than a fourteenth part of both the operating income and the industrial employees of the Community. Based on the study of the ceramic cluster of the province of Castellón, ( Hervás et al. 2015), the Castellón cluster is formed by four localities: Alcora, Onda, Villareal and Castellón de la Plana, being this last one the capital of the province of Castellón (Picture 7). All of them belong to the region of "La Plana". This cluster includes all the activities of the value chain of the tile industry, as well as several public R&D organizations, such as the Institute of Ceramic Technology (ITC), educational centers, such as Jaume I University, the closest university to the Cluster, and private institutions, such as trade associations, for example Ascer, Anffecc, and Asebec. According to (Ascer, 2010) ,this cluster provided about 20000 direct jobs in 2010 and currently it is estimated that there are about 300 people related to the industry. Returning to the previously mentioned study ( Hervás et al. 2015), within the cluster, the most important auxiliary industries are frits and glazes. Castellon glaze industry is the world leader with nearly 26 companies, with a high volume of exports reaching 66% of the total production, valued at 900 million euros. As our most direct competitor, Italy, the ceramic industry in Spain has a concentration coefficient of 420% above the average (in the area of Castellón). Picture 7: Castellon ceramics industrial district  Source:  El distrito industrial de la cerámica ( Fuertes et al. 2005) 40 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. 3.2.4 Innovation and trends in the Spanish ceramic sector As he tells us ( Gabaldón and Fernández, 2011 ), the Spanish ceramic sector, more specifically the industrial district of Castellón, is characterized by a high level of dynamism based on technological innovation, both of the product and of the process, the origin of which lies in its suppliers, the mechanical equipment industry, the glazes and ceramic colours industry and the frits industry. Globalisation implies new behaviours and one of the most important is the increase of cooperation between the actors of the innovation system. That is why the Spanish ceramic sector needs to be at the forefront of innovations in order not to lose its position in the market against the most direct competitors. In terms of innovation, the Spanish Association of Ceramic Tile Manufacturers has insisted on the commitment to R&D in the sector, as it is aware of the importance it can have for the growth of this sector in the near future. The Spanish sector is currently considered a world leader in terms of technological development, design and product and service quality. Moreover, compared to other sectors of the Spanish economy, the ceramic sector is the one that provides more investment in R&D, either from the private sector companies themselves or through institutions such as the Instituto Tecnológico de la Cerámica (ITC) or ASCER among others. According to the portal dedicated to technology (Cámara de Valencia), these are some of the main applications of technology to the ceramic sector: ● Research into ceramic materials for architecture and the home. ● Technological solutions to make the ceramic sector more sustainable and increase energy efficiency ● Technology for thermal energy efficiency and reduction of CO2 emissions ● Make use of cogeneration for greater efficiency in obtaining electricity. ● Technology for the reduction of environmental pollution. ● Savings in possible losses in the transport and transformation of the product. Speaking of trends, it is true that the Spanish ceramic sector is one of the world leaders in innovation and quality, but there is always a continuous need to incorporate new techniques and product improvements through new technologies. The report "Lines of innovation for the 41 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. 3.4.1 History and characteristics of the company As one of its two CEOs explains to me in an interview, the company was founded by his father under the name of Ceramica Bou & Gali S L, more than 35 years ago in Almazora and later the factory was passed on to his sons, the current CEOs of the company. Struker has always been an innovative company, based on continuous improvement to provide its customers with products that are always up to date. Due to the good operation of the company, in 2011 Struker moved its headquarters to Onda (picture 11 and picture 12 ) to try to take advantage of the benefits of being integrated in a Cluster, and on the other hand, it extended its range of products with the production of bathroom articles, wash basins, baths, made of stone resin with full body that combines the advantages of natural stone with resin, as well as accessories and bathroom furniture and the new division Struker Bathis was founded. Today Struker continues to strive to be at the forefront of innovation at all times, managing to be a company that makes the difference with its competitors. A good example of this is the application of Inkjet printing for shower trays, which we will explain below. Picture 11: Struker facilities in Onda Picture 12: Struker facilities in Onda  Source:  www.strukerporcelanicosl.com  Source:  www.strukerporcelanicosl.com Once we know the roots of the company, we will know a little bit about the mission and business vision for which they want to be recognized by their customers. The mission of this company is to offer innovative solutions for the home and bathroom, with the aim of satisfying all the needs and requirements of its customers, offering products of 48 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. medium-high quality and with a high aesthetic value, establishing a close relationship with customers, all at a reasonable price. While the company's vision is to continue being a company with a markedly innovative character as they have demonstrated up to now, focusing mainly on offering the greatest number of solutions to customers as we can see in pictures 13 and 14, adapting products and processes to their needs, in order to maintain a higher position with respect to its most direct competitors. Picture 13: Adapting products to each customer's needs   Source: www.strukerporcelanicosl.com As for the company's structure, it follows a departmentalization by functions, since it is one of the most effective structures for small companies and with a fairly standardized product. It is divided into functional areas, and groups together people who have a similar position within the company or who specialise in similar functions. The organization chart of this type of structure usually shows the parts that make up an organization and the relationships that link them. As we can see in graph 1, Struker's structure is formed starting from the top, by the two current directors of the company; a step below, the company is structured by functional departments. It only has the four departments that we can observe since we are not talking about a large company, and many of the functions of a company that do not appear in the organization chart, such as human resources or cost accounting, have to be performed either by senior management or those staff who are assigned the task. Finally, Struker has 49 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. another department at a lower level in the hierarchy that serves as a link between all the above-mentioned departments and the factory workers, taking care of order and production management. All departments are perfectly interrelated and there is direct and two-way communication that works well.  Graph 1: Organisational Structure Struker   Source: Interview with Struker's CEO With regard to the distribution channels, Struker has three types of channels to reach its customers. The first is the company's own sales staff (belonging to the sales department mentioned above), distributed by geographical area, who are responsible for communicating all the company's news to its customer base in that area, or to agents established there. The second way would be the cooperation of the company with external agents, who have created their own portfolio of clients in areas where the company is not used to marketing. These agents charge a sales commission previously agreed with the company. Finally, we find the wholesalers. The company makes an agreement with wholesalers so that part of their production can be sent to their warehouses and reach the end customer. At present Struker cooperates with the German giant Bauhaus and Leroy Merlin. 50 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. Focusing on the distribution of Struker's exports, in graph 2 we can see how sales are quite centralized in two geographical areas, mainly in Europe where France and Belgium add up to around 45% of total exports, due to the large portfolio of clients of our sales representatives in these two countries. On the other hand, it is also worth noting Iceland and Norway, with almost 19% of total exports, thanks to the links of the Bauhaus stores in these two countries. In short, almost 60% of Struker's production remains in Europe. On the other hand, the USA and South America (America in the graph) account for 24% of exports, and only 13.9% applies to other different countries distributed around the world. Graph 2: Percentage of foreign sales 2019   Source: Interview with Struker's CEO Finally, we will focus on the brand's positioning in the market and on its most direct competitors. As we have been saying before, the Struker brand is established in the market in a medium-high quality range as far as its products and services are concerned, trying to establish affordable prices for the consumer but providing them with that asset to position themselves ahead of their competitors. Therefore, with everything we have been quoting 51 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. about this small innovative company, it lets us see that it uses a commercial strategy of differentiation, with the aim of developing an action plan to achieve that the product or service is positioned in the market and stands out from the competition, to achieve attention, recognition and, if possible, customer loyalty generating a competitive advantage. One of the main tools used by the company to establish this differentiation is the high degree of innovation of its products, and its high quality in customer service. These advantages are intended to position Struker ahead of its most direct competitors in the market, namely B10 and SW Shower. Picture 14: Baños 10 logo Picture 15: SW Shower   Source: www.b10bath.com   Source: www.showersw.com As it indicates us in its web page (Baños 10, 2020) B10 was born at the beginning of the 90s, and accumulates more than 2 decades of experience in the manufacture of hydromassage bathtubs, plates and columns of shower. They are present in more than 20 countries, with export sales representing a high percentage of the company's total turnover. B10 is also located in Onda and specializes in the design and meticulous production of baths, with the best raw materials, the best technology and the most modern production systems, having 6 different hydromassage systems. The company's constant concern is the quality and safety of its products. 52 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. On the other hand, on the SW Shower website (SW Shower, 2020) we find that this company began its journey in the decade of 2000-2010, founded with a spirit of effort and sacrifice to grow the business. Located in the town of La Vall d'uixó, the knowledge about a new material, polyurethanes, and their interest in innovation encourage them to apply this material of great versatility and good performance in relation to water, dressing it with an appearance similar to wood. Subsequently, textures became the soul of the company and the protagonist of all the products that SW Shower makes. 3.4.2 SWOT analysis of the company To conclude the summary of this company belonging to the Castellon Cluster, we are going to analyse it more personally, trying to identify its internal strengths and weaknesses, and external threats and opportunities to which this small company in the ceramic sector is subject. Weaknesses: Production limitations:  Being a small company, it cannot carry out the same amount of production as other larger companies in the same sector, which makes it impossible to achieve economies of scale in order to lower prices and face up to large companies. Storage space limitations / Limited stock:  As it does not have a very large space to store material, the company has to make most of its orders to order, taking considerably longer to deliver the product to the customer than if the product were in stock. Low online presence:  Until now Struker has had little presence on digital platforms, both on its website and on social networks, with a rather low percentage of online sales. Competition:  Belonging to an industrial cluster means being continuously in a fight to beat your most direct competitors, because there are many companies nearby that are engaged in the same activity. Technological restrictions:  The implementation of technological innovations has a very high implementation cost in companies, so small companies like this one often present economic difficulties to establish these improvements. 53 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. Strengths: More than 30 years of experience:  Struker has more than 30 years of experience in the ceramic sector ,following the evolution of this sector very closely during all this time, having a wide portfolio of suppliers and clients established in the market. Product diversification:  As we have commented during the description of the company, Struker does not focus on a single product, as it offers the grinding of ceramic tiles, as well as its part dedicated to the bathroom, with the production of worktops and shower trays accompanied by the marketing of furniture for this purpose. Constant expansion of the product range:  We have also previously mentioned the innovative spirit of this company, which is constantly developing products to satisfy all types of needs of its customers, expanding increasingly its range of products. Innovation in exclusive products:  One of the hallmarks of the company is the ability to offer unique products in the market, obtaining a great competitive advantage over its competitors. Ability to work for other factories in the sector:  Thanks to the above strength, Struker has the ability to produce for the competition, since thanks to its innovations, it offers a unique product in the market. This gives you the opportunity to control the prices of that product on the market. Location of the company in the neuralgic center of the Spanish ceramics:  As we had mentioned in the weaknesses, belonging to a Cluster we can take it as a weakness due to the high existing competitive level, or as a strength at the moment of the existing proximity with suppliers or logistic centres, with the possibility of establishing direct relation with these, among other of the advantages of being a part of an industrial Cluster. Threats: Current unstable economy / Uncertainty environment :  The current economy is faced with a high degree of uncertainty. We find ourselves with a cyclical economy in which recession and expansion stages are continuously occurring, hitting the ceramic sector hard. Limitation of risks to clients by the insurance companies :  These recessionary stages mentioned above make the credibility of the companies to the insurance companies 54 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. decrease when making payments. Due to this, the insurance companies offer a lower risk to these companies, which makes the purchase of big quantities of these impossible. Italian brands are considered the best in design and quality:  Although data from recent years show that Spanish production exceeds that of Italy, historically it has always been considered worldwide that the quality and design of Italian products are superior to those of the Spanish sector. Great link to the construction sector:  The ceramic sector is highly dependent on the construction sector, a negative factor since depending largely on a single sector can be very detrimental. Opportunities: Access to expanding markets:  We can take advantage of this opportunity through strategies such as presence in international ceramic fairs, to establish links with agents and customers in expanding markets. Second market after Italy:  The Spanish market is considered the second most important in the world in terms of quality and design behind the Italian market, which serves as a great showcase for Spanish companies in the sector at an international level. Continuous innovation:  Struker's continuous innovation process can be an opportunity to continue creating new exclusive products in a mature market where innovation is difficult. Great importance of exports:  A large part of the company's sales are abroad, thus helping to diversify the market. 4. INNOVATION: DIGITAL PRINTING (INKJET) APPLIED TO CERAMICS 4.1 Definition of the INKJET technique As it is offered by the portal (Atria Innovation, 2018), Inkjet technology is about combining electronic signals with mechanical and chemical engineering. This technology consists of the formation of an image from the controlled deposition of drops, which join together and form this image on the substrate itself. 55 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. Thanks to the continuous advances in algorithms of controllers and softwares and a greater knowledge of fluid mechanics, Inkjet technology is one of the main technologies for decoration in many sectors, such as the ceramic sector. This technology offers several competitive advantages over previous technologies such as tampography or screen printing. Among these advantages, we highlight: Environmental progress  : This is one of the main changes compared to previous technologies. The sustainable principles of Inkjet lie exclusively in the reduced use of inks when projecting the design, since a wide variety of colours can be achieved without having to prepare each one separately. In this area, we consume less raw material and reduce the use of water and electricity. Versatility:  With the previous techniques, to print an image we used some masks which must be changed whenever we were going to print different images. Nowadays with Inkjet printing, you just have to load the image you want to print in the Software. Flexibility  : Inkjet technology allows printing on elements of complex geometry, without the need of contact between that element and the print head. Moreover, thanks to the digitalization of the process, this technology offers great production flexibility, achieving a great decrease in the cycle time of each print in comparison to previous techniques. Savings:  In addition to the savings mentioned in the environmental advance mentioned above, such as energy and material savings, maintenance stages are excluded compared to previous technologies, such as the possible post-printing cleaning stage. 4.2 Inkjet technology applied to the ceramic sector As mentioned in the previous section, Inkjet is an innovative digital printing technology because of the infinite finishes and creative possibilities it offers, as well as the high environmental efficiency it brings. According to the ceramic company's website (Decocer, 2018) this set of features belonging to this technology has been transferred together with a strong R&D component to the ceramic sector, through the digital Inkjet Ceramic printer, which injects the ink with impeccable accuracy, drawings and textures on ceramic surfaces, even allowing the reproduction of reliefs without the need to invest in moulds. 56 Creativity and innovation in the ceramic tile industry Case study: Struker Porcelanico S.L. Since 2000, when the first Inkjet printer for industrial ceramics was launched by the company Kerajet, as we can see in picture 16, this technology has revolutionised the traditional production system of ceramic decoration worldwide, and continues to amaze with advances that take digital printing on ceramics to the highest level. Picture 16: Manufacturers of inkjet printer for ceramic tiles  Source: Impresión digital de la baldosa cerámica (Gadini y Dondi, 2018) Some of these advances are for example HD technology, high definition which implies greater realism and precision in digital printing, and the improvement of both its software, which is in charge of digital printing, and hardware (heads and inks) to improve the speed and data management when printing surfaces such as ceramics. As we have mentioned before, Kerajet is the world pioneer in digital ceramic printing, and currently has the most advanced and versatile digital ceramic printing machines on the market, offering an efficient and competent production process. That is why we are going to make a brief explanation of the composition and operation of its digital printer for ceramic products. Extracting information from the company settled in Castellón (Kerajet, 2020), the Kerajet printer (picture 17), has a compact and robust design that makes it a perfect machine to be part of a production line where thanks to its advanced electronics and innovative and intuitive software make it the most versatile and complete printer in terms of features in the world market. 57