The INSME portal

Launched in July 2003, the INSME portal is a tool aimed at supporting the International Network for SMEs in pursuing its mission, that is to stimulate innovation and technological transfer for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by encouraging and strengthening linkages, co-operation and partnerships between the main actors involved in this process:

Governments, international organisations and NGOs, intermediaries and networks of intermediaries. The focus is on transregional and transnational co-operation and above all on North-South and South-South co-operation.
Therefore the INSME portal has to be conceived as an information hub and platform for all the actors involved in the field of innovation and technology transfer to SMEs so that they can:
- share knowledge and experience;,- exchange information, methodologies and good practices;,- find partners and technologies;,- launch joint pilot projects.
To achieve these goals, the portal is structured so as to provide user friendly tools to its users in order to give them the possibility to become active participants. Here are the main services:,- a catalogue of policies on innovation and technology transfer,http://www.insme.info/page.asp?page=policies
- a catalogue of financing opportunities, call for tenders and proposals,http://www.insme.info/page.asp?page=financings,http://www.insme.info/page.asp?page=tenders
- a selection of good practices,http://www.insme.info/page.asp?page=goodpractices
- a catalogue of projects and initiatives on innovation and technology transfer,http://www.insme.info/page.asp?page=projects
- a Library, that is a section dedicated to documents, publications, studies, reports and analyses on innovation and technology transfer and on SME related issues,http://www.insme.info/page.asp?page=library_subjects
- a Database of intermediaries and networks of intermediaries providing innovation and technology transfer services to SMEs at international, regional and national level at a sectoral or multi-sectoral level; it also has links to business support organisations and networks providing more general services to SMEs,http://www.insme.info/page.asp?page=databases
- a Partner Search Area, with two sections:,o one especially dedicated to INSME Members (INSME Partner Search) to help them find the most suitable partners within the INSME Community in order to co-operate in projects and initiatives related to innovation and technology transfer,o one accessible by any visitor of the INSME portal and implemented within the framework of a partnership established with CORDIS. This section help visitors identify technological advances ready for exploitation (such as production and/or marketing agreements, further development or funding),http://www.insme.info/page.asp?page=partner_search_intro2
- a calendar of events (interesting conferences, expert meetings, workshops, exhibitions, forums, etc.) related to innovation and technology transfer and/or SMEs organised by INSME Members or other bodies,http://www.insme.info/page.asp?page=events
- a Glossary, providing definitions regularly used in the area of innovation and technology transfer,http://www.insme.info/page.asp?page=glossary&IDAlphaLetter=A
- the INSME Member Directory (Full Members and Observers),http://www.insme.info/page.asp?page=members_intro,Apart from the INSME Partner Search section, the above mentioned sections of the INSME portal are freely accessible.
However, there are a few sections reserved for the INSME Members. These are:,· the Members Area, where Members can access the internal, working documents;,http://www.insme.info/page.asp?page=members_area
· the Discussion Group, which is a forum where the INSME Members can discuss issues related to innovation and technology transfer for SMEs or make proposals for new themes and actions to be undertaken at by the network;,http://www.insme.info/page.asp?page=discussion
· The Thematic Working Group and Ask INSME, which are sections dedicated to specific services, that are still in the phase of development.
From the INSME portal it is also possible to access INSMEnews (http://www.insme.info/page.asp?page=newsletter_intro) the monthly newsletter, which represents a useful information tool on the INSMEs activities and, more generally, on the innovation and technology transfer sector.
Since its launch, the number of the total users surfing the INSME web portal has considerably increased: the portal has almost quadrupled its audience if compared to the pre-existing version, totalling an average monthly traffic in the period running from May to September 2003 of 1,200 unique visitors and 8,400 page views. ,INSMEnews, launched last May with 1,000 subscribers, now has 2,100 readers.
Moreover, the INSME Portal has been reviewed in the WASME Newsletter and on the websites of CORDIS, EURADA, the Development Gateway, FIRST and other several foreign and Italian newsletters and innovation portals.
About INSME,The International Network for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises-INSME is an initiative promoted by the Italian Government through IPI and aimed at setting up a world-wide multistakeholder Community on innovation and technology transfer (TT) for SMEs. ,Its mission is to stimulate innovation and technology transfer to SMEs by promoting a public-private partnership (PPP) approach with a variable geometry in order to:,1. support the specialisation, integration, extension and internationalisation of existing Intermediaries and their networks providing services to SMEs so as to create economies of scale; ,2. encourage the transfer of know how, good practices and methodologies so as to upgrade the service supply; ,3. launch new projects among interested public and private actors in this field; ,4. facilitate interactions between the research sector and the industrial sector.,INSME intends to act as a hub, multiplier and disseminator of knowledge, a facilitator for alliances, a promoter of networking and a catalyser to encourage strengthened North-South and South-South cooperation and political dialogue.,At present, INSME includes 71 Members: 41 Governments (22 OECD and 19 non-OECD), 17 International Organisations and NGOs, and 13 networks and intermediaries acting in the field of innovation and technology transfer to SMEs.,Governmental bodies and International Organisations (Policy Makers), international NGOs, business associations, intermediaries and their networks are eligible for membership in the INSME Network. SMEs and Enterprises in general are excluded from membership. However they can follow the INSME Process through the information published in our portal.,The Network, which operated so far informally and mainly virtually, will take the form of a non-profit international Association to be set-up in early 2004.