Services enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs in the Enterprise Europe Network 2017 - 2018

ended

Successful growth companies tend to be significantly better at innovation management than average. However, most SMEs and SME support organisations consider the inability to manage innovation processes efficiently and effectively as one of the most important barriers to create European economic impact (competitiveness, growth and jobs) from innovation activities in SMEs. The objective of this project proposal is to address these problems by providing services enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs wishing to develop innovation projects with a strong European or international potential. Four partners in the Swedish Enterprise Europe Network (SweNet) are taking part in the H2020 activities 2017-2018 where Swedish SMEs will be coached. There are two SME target groups that will receive 132 7-day work packages: 1. 66 SME beneficiaries of the SME Instrument in Horizon 2020 – to be supported by Key Account Managers (KAM), and 2. 66 SMEs with significant innovation activities and a high potential for internationalisation – to be supported by innovation experts. The specific objectives related to the first target group of 66 SMEs are to identify weaknesses in the innovation capacities of the beneficiary that hinder the realisation of growth opportunities and of the full commercial potential of SME Instrument participants, to identify suitable coaches to address the identified weaknesses and moderating the coach-client relationship and to accompany the beneficiary through the SME instrument project. The specific objectives related to the second target group of 66 SMEs are to carry out innovation management capacity assessments using agreed methodologies of selected SMEs, to set up action plans to address these bottlenecks, and to implement the action plans. The partner IVF, Acreo, Centek and SP will cover all of Sweden (all three Nuts 1 regions). The coordinator, The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth will not be involved in any service act