Project description
Innovation is getting a boost in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
SMEs are the driving force behind a plethora of innovations in numerous fields impacting economies, livelihoods and lives, not to mention the environment. However, they often lack the resources to transform their innovations into commercially viable products. The Enterprise Europe Network was established to help SMEs in this task via technology transfer and internationalisation. The EU-funded Innovation.NRW_1 project is supporting the Network’s North Rhine-Westphalia node in Germany, enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of SME innovation management to ultimately enhance the innovation capacity and competitiveness of the SMEs in the area.
Objective
Innovations and thus also the management of innovations are of great significance for the competitiveness of the European Union, its Member States and their regions. Innovative individuals or enterprises do something which cannot be expected from the state of the art. They put innovations into practice – generally in the face of considerable resistance – and take financial, technical as well as social risks. Only in this way, however, can new technologies, processes, products or services assert themselves and future markets evolve. Employment, prosperity and the general quality of life and of the environment are directly dependent on the innovation capacity of regions and enterprises. Due to this interrelationship, the European Commission has promoted the Enterprise Europe Network since 2008 in order to provide local support above all to SMEs in the areas of internationalization, technology transfer and generally in the realization of innovations. One of the Network’s tasks is to raise the effectiveness and efficiency of innovation management in SMEs in order to accelerate the implementation of economically impactful innovations.
Supporting SMEs in the area of innovation is a core task and the mission of ZENIT, coordinator of NRW.Europa the Enterprise Europe Network node in North Rhine-Westphalia. Whilst innovations naturally cannot be forecasted, they can, however, evolve under the right conditions and be successfully managed. Our understanding of innovation and innovation management is oriented at business opportunities. As a consequence, ZENIT is pursuing the following objectives in the Innovation.NRW project:
• To maintain and expand the innovation capacity and competitiveness of the participating SMEs
• To help the key SME beneficiaries so that their full innovation potential can be exploited
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
CSA - Coordination and support action
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-EEN-SGA3-2018
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
45470 Mulheim An Der Ruhr
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.