EEN Innovation Support Services for SMEs in North West Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ALPS INN3 (EEN Innovation Support Services for SMEs in North West Italy)

Okres sprawozdawczy: 2017-01-01 do 2018-12-31

The project, whose geographical coverage is North-West Italy (3 regions : Piemonte Liguria and Valle d’Aosta) aimed at implementing a specific framework service for supporting SMEs in the innovation management capacity . The service was delivered through provision of 85 7-days packages directed to SMEs with international growth potential via product, process service and/or business model innovation- with focus on innovation management.
In particular, the action focused on: a) deep understanding of local business innovation support needs: mapping and understanding the context within which the service was offered; b) value creation for the SMEs; c) EEN innovation services positioning within the regional innovation ecosystem; d) EEN Advisory skill enhancement: ALPS EEN personnel, assisting the experts in this Action, will increase expertise and competences, providing high level advisory on innovation management.
Two main specific group of SMEs were targeted: Beneficiaries of the SME Instrument (Phase 1 and Phase 2) and SMEs with significant innovation activities and a high potential for internationalisation
Two specific set of services were provided:
A) Key Account Manager – KAM. Target: beneficiaries of the SME Instrument – Phase 1 and Phase
B) Innovation Enhancement Advisory- EIMC. Target beneficiaries: high growth potential SMEs.

The services proposed within were based on EEN shared guidelines, manuals , trainings as well as participation in consortium, national an EU Working Groups, defining schemes to define common national advanced EEN innovation service packages, including SME Instrument beneficiaries dedicated actions &participating in SME Instrument national panel of expert.
The basic principles in the business innovation service support & coaching mission was to empower SMEs in their efforts toward successful implementation and subsequent commercialisation of their innovation. This goes hand in hand with strengthening the company’s capability to deal with the challenges of each stage of its life cycle including aspects such as strategy, organisation, management, financing and resource development. Thus a combination of EEN soft skills, common assessment tools (namely IMPROVE), together with Coaching schemes funded by EU ensured targeted SMEs to achieve significant results and impact.
A set of well-identified and committed companies was crucial to ensure the proper completion of the action. Hence, dedicated awareness raising campaigns and call for interests were launched to identified target groups.

As far as KAM target clients, their identification was possible only after the projects’ evaluations related to the cut off dates in the relevant 24 months period. After having received communication from EC related to the awarded SMEs, aspefic client attribution was made by the cooridnator to ensure smooth workflow and proper KAM activities.

Senior EEN experts were appointed as Innovation Experts, their main tasks were: implementing an Innovation Intake Check/Needs Analysis dedicated to potential candidates recruited via promotion activities and assessed upon specific criteria such as “strategic and international aspirations, opportunities to grow and capacity to innovate” (for both Type KAM &EIMC activities).

For KAM activities specific work performed was: helping SME instrument beneficiaries identify and source coaches, evaluating coaching service and capture the benefit to the company, identifying next steps to help the SME on its growth path; linking the SME to additional EEN support services available regionally or nationally; accompanying SMEs successfully through the Phases of the SME Instrument project and possibly succeed in Subsequent phases submission.

For EIMC activities specific work performed was: carrying out innovation management capacity assessments using IMP3ROVE methodology during one ore more face-to-face meetings with the company; analysing the assessment results and propose a jointly agreed action plan; delivering targeted and tailored support according to the action plan, empowering clients to undertake better innovation management and guide to growth; providing direct specific support or signpost to specific external expertise in commercial sector, networking, change management or project management.

The project was concluded with 83 started packages started among which 69 were regularly concluded.

EIMC services definitely represent the starting point of the client Journey. They lead to a better focus EEN offer and design new support actions aimed at enhancing SME growth. KAM services on the other side often represent one of the arrival points of the client journey as in-depth assistance offered through EEN and EIMC package led to successful SME Instrument proposals. KAM services represented then the base for other specific support actions such as access to venture capital funds, access to markets, to talents and infrastructures.

Totally, 7 ASOs were achieved thanks to ALPS INN3 activities. These results show an important impact on EEN performance.

The potential impact measured on clients might be summarised in the following main business impetus:
• international growth and partnership fine tuning
• Innovation capacity enhancement and innovation projects implementation,
• Practical application of a EU shared support and well recognised methodology for innovation management support, profitably supporting local SMEs
• Access to well identified Coach/EEN experts community at EU level
• Access to finance (Venture capital funds or H2020 funds)
• Access to talents
The consortium composition conception aims at placing EEN services at the centre of the regional business innovation and growth Ecosystem, integrating policies to the benefit of SMEs innovation & growth. Within the general implementation strategy, coordination with regional Stakeholders played a key role for the success of the project. At national level, a strong collaboration is active with national NCPs and national delegate for SME instrument H2020, aiming at sharing information on calls publications, statistics on participation, and pre-evaluation of proposals. Several regional organizations provide complementary services (e.g. technology transfer on regional level, assistance for regional/national funding for RTD, incubators for start-up companies, information on National/regional legislations) and ALPS partners developed joint initiatives.
Strong synergies/signposting with COSME activities were constantly sought (E.g. preparatory work for KAM services for phase 1 and phase 2 of the SMEs I, identification of funding opportunities for SMEs applicants who received the Seal of Excellence, identification of EIMC clients in COSME activities, further support of EIMC clients under COSME). Full client journey service provision matching COSME, h2020 and possibly other EU support (e.g Interreg) proved effective and further enhanced ALPS EEN service portfolio
A high-end result is ALPS EEN achieving strong accountability towards host organisations, local regional and national business community. Main features recognised are professional and quality service design & delivery, deep knowledge of clients, wide international expertise outreach and direct link with EU institutions. This would not have been created otherwise by host organisations or other stakeholders alone. This Network added value is perceived as directly linked to EU.

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ALPS INN3 (EEN Innovation Support Services for SMEs in North West Italy)

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