Innovation Capacity Building in SMEs (InnoCAP)

ended

In 2017 FFG launched a pilot scheme for a new program called “Impact Innovation”, which was continued in 2018. “Impact Innovation” supports non-technical innovation projects of SMEs. For the design of the program FFG started an intensive dialog The main objective of the proposed project is to conduct a large-scale experimental pilot and test if a set of complementary and easy scalable support measures (a combination of mentoring and software tools) can increase the innovation capacity in SMEs. Therefore, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted within the existing funding scheme “Impact Innovation” of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency/FFG, which will be adapted accordingly and considerably improved in order to test the hypotheses by the respective control groups. The funding scheme “Impact Innovation” has a strong focus on the innovation management of the funded projects; thus the internal resources and the team capacity are highly relevant to the success of the project. By providing complementary tools to structure the innovation management (regarding process and resources) within the beneficiary and providing high-quality external mentoring, FFG will test an innovative, effective and efficient combination of support measures that aim at improving the success rate of funded projects and improve their execution. Through an evidence-based RCT, FFG will pilot a new innovative support scheme to address one of the major challenges that most funded projects have: bringing new innovative products/services/business models to the market, based on the results of publicly funded research projects. FFG is going to measure the outcomes concretely by the fulfillment of project objectives and plan, the use of innovation methods and the product/service success indicators like turnover or company growth within a given timeframe.