Supporting Innovation actions in SMEs

ended

The project aims to establish services enhancing the innovation management capacity (EIMC) of SME's of the Enterprise Europe Network. Lack of innovation management capacity is recognised as an important barrier to creating economic impact (competitiveness, growth and jobs) from innovation activities in SMEs. Horizon 2020’s SME-instrument foresees offering mentoring and coaching services to beneficiaries to address the need of SMEs of consulting service offers enhancing the innovation management capacity. Moreover, in a survey undertaken in 2011 for DG Enterprise and Industry, SME´s and SME support organisations considered the inability to manage innovation processes efficiently and effectively as the second most important barrier to SME innovation (after 'lack of financial resources').The two partners of the consortium for the present project, IVACE and INFO MURCIA have both more than 20 years’ experience in providing services of Enhancing innovation capacity to SMEs in their regions. More recently as members of EEN-SEIMED Network they have both been leading in their Region the provision of services in order to help small business to make the most of the European marketplace. Specifically services provided are supporting: • Technology transfer • Access to finance • Advice on EU law and standards • Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) • Research funding • Going international The Enterprise Europe Network SEIMED is therefore a suitable structure to introduce services “Enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs” and make available to SMEs higher quality innovation support services where these are absent or unaffordable on local markets.