The effective and efficient development of software-driven innovations that go beyond the general state of the art can improve the competitive position in traditional markets. In addition to traditional ICT sectors, industries that are increasingly permeated, changed and determined by IT and software, such as intelligent technical systems and increasingly networked systems in many administrative and business areas, also offer new opportunities.

Because the SICP brings together partners from industry and science with different, partly overlapping and complementary skills, new innovation and value creation networks are created, from which the providers of innovative technical solutions in particular benefit. Partnership-based relationships as well as support, service or supplier structures between the participating companies are to be specifically promoted on the basis of recognized synergy potential (basic technologies, cross-sectional technologies, complementary service offerings, value chains).

Due to demographic developments and the resulting shortage of skilled workers, the access to graduates and students that companies gain through collaboration is a good way of recruiting new skilled workers. Through the collaboration, the companies get to know the potential new employees and the employees get to know the companies at an early stage. This makes the recruitment process more efficient for both sides. The probability of finding the right employer or employee increases significantly.

In addition to strengthening companies on the provider side of software and ICT-intensive solutions, the SICP will also strengthen ICT users in competition. The end-to-end involvement of ICT users in the innovation and development process - from the idea and requirements through to prototypes and solutions - is beneficial:

• the providers, who do not develop without taking into account the actual needs and requirements of the users,
• users, whose needs and feedback are continuously taken into account in the life cycle of technical solutions, and
• research, which can focus on scientific challenges in practical applications.

As a result, cooperation not only focuses on the interaction between research and development, but the interfaces between research and application as well as between development and application in the triangular ICT innovation ecosystem of research, development and application are sustainably expanded.