Periodic Reporting for period 2 - STAGE (Sustainable Transition to the Agile and Green Enterprise)
Période du rapport: 2023-12-01 au 2025-09-30
Sustainability and the transition to a low-carbon, more resource-efficient and circular economy are key in ensuring the long-term competitiveness of the EU economy. Sustainability has long been at the heart of the European Union programmes and the EU Treaties give recognition to its social and environmental dimensions. Advanced industrial technologies are at the heart of the Industrial Revolution, shaping the future of production and value chains, opening opportunities for companies to shape a new wave of economic growth. More than 75% of European Industrial SMEs indicate that the main barrier for the implementation of Advanced Technologies is the lack of financial resources and access to investment opportunities. The STAGE project replied to this emerging demand by creating a sustainability transition ecosystem needed for the European SMEs to become competitive and sustainable leaders of the European industrial economy. This has been achieved through several activities, designed in such a manner that will allow SMEs to be selected and prepared in order to address gaps and undergo substantial changes towards sustainability. The STAGE project offered support to more than 2000 SMEs to achieve sustainability objectives. In parallel, Sustainability Advisors were engaged and trained, who were in turn supported SMEs in developing their sustainability transition plans, while also receiving in-depth industrial training. SMEs received financial incentives to access customized advisory services and financial support for materializing their sustainability plans. Ultimately, the project facilitated investments to those with the greatest potential, positioning them as the leaders of the European industrial economy.
The STAGE project was conceived with a clear ambition: to support European SMEs in making the transition towards greener, more resilient, and more sustainable models. At its core, STAGE sets out to provide SMEs with the tools, knowledge and supporting network necessary to navigate the complex pathway of sustainability, all available in one digital hub: The STAGE Platform. From the outset, STAGE followed a structured methodological approach (STAGE Sustainability Transition Methodology). After their registration to the Platform, the SMEs are first matched with one or more available Sustainability Advisors (SAs). Then, they are guided through a suite of assessments—covering innovation performance, carbon footprint, and alignment with EU Taxonomy requirements—resulting in tailor-made Sustainability Transition Plans. These plans are actionable roadmaps that allow companies to set measurable goals and strategies for their sustainable transformation.
To equip SMEs and SAs with the required knowledge, STAGE built the STAGE Academy. Throughout the STAGE period, the Academy offered 48 modules, complemented by 36 onsite workshops across 11 countries and 9 webinars. Training was delivered both online and in-person, ensuring accessibility for SMEs across regions, languages, and digital skill levels. A further achievement of the project was its capacity to connect actors of the Ecosystem. Through the STAGE platform, SMEs were successfully matched with SAs, forming nearly 500 partnerships that combined technical expertise with practical business insight. These collaborations allowed companies to translate assessment results into concrete actions, supported by targeted grants. In total, more than 100 SMEs received nearly €2,5 million financial support to implement their transition plans, demonstrating the project’s tangible impact.
A major achievement of STAGE was its role in bridging SMEs with the investment community. The project developed financial plan templates, established a Financial Advisory Board, and created dedicated services on the STAGE platform to guide SMEs in attracting sustainable investments. Through these efforts, SMEs were not only able to prepare compelling sustainability transition plans but also to present them in ways attractive for investors. This structured approach to investment-readiness and access to finance matchmaking mobilized over €170 million in private financing, significantly amplifying the impact of the project and demonstrating that sustainability can be both environmentally responsible and economically attractive.
The scale of engagement grew significantly compared with the 1st reporting period. Where the early phase focused on infrastructure development and pilot testing, the 2nd phase saw widespread adoption: over 2300 European industrial enterprises have been engaged in the STAGE activities. More than 1000 SAs have been engaged to support these enterprises. More than 1500 sustainability assessments were performed, 641 SMEs and 260 Advisors trained. 20 social innovation success stories have been created by STAGE supported SMEs. This shift from design to deployment reflects both the maturity of the platform and the trust it built among SMEs and stakeholders.
To equip SMEs and SAs with the required knowledge, STAGE built the STAGE Academy. Throughout the STAGE period, the Academy offered 48 modules, complemented by 36 onsite workshops across 11 countries and 9 webinars. Training was delivered both online and in-person, ensuring accessibility for SMEs across regions, languages, and digital skill levels. A further achievement of the project was its capacity to connect actors of the Ecosystem. Through the STAGE platform, SMEs were successfully matched with SAs, forming nearly 500 partnerships that combined technical expertise with practical business insight. These collaborations allowed companies to translate assessment results into concrete actions, supported by targeted grants. In total, more than 100 SMEs received nearly €2,5 million financial support to implement their transition plans, demonstrating the project’s tangible impact.
A major achievement of STAGE was its role in bridging SMEs with the investment community. The project developed financial plan templates, established a Financial Advisory Board, and created dedicated services on the STAGE platform to guide SMEs in attracting sustainable investments. Through these efforts, SMEs were not only able to prepare compelling sustainability transition plans but also to present them in ways attractive for investors. This structured approach to investment-readiness and access to finance matchmaking mobilized over €170 million in private financing, significantly amplifying the impact of the project and demonstrating that sustainability can be both environmentally responsible and economically attractive.
The scale of engagement grew significantly compared with the 1st reporting period. Where the early phase focused on infrastructure development and pilot testing, the 2nd phase saw widespread adoption: over 2300 European industrial enterprises have been engaged in the STAGE activities. More than 1000 SAs have been engaged to support these enterprises. More than 1500 sustainability assessments were performed, 641 SMEs and 260 Advisors trained. 20 social innovation success stories have been created by STAGE supported SMEs. This shift from design to deployment reflects both the maturity of the platform and the trust it built among SMEs and stakeholders.
Throughout the project period, STAGE created 5 Key Exploitable Results (KERs):
1) Innovation and Sustainability assessment tools: These tools - Initial Assessment, Performance Assessment, Carbon Footprint Assessment, and EU Taxonomy Assessment – are designed to help SMEs evaluate their current sustainability status, identify gaps, and define actionable roadmaps for transition.
2) Decentralized sustainability training courses: The STAGE Academy consists of 48 training modules structured across 4 thematic pillars: Product Development, Sustainability Enablers, Production Sustainability, and Business Strategy.
3) Sustainability Transition and Investment planning tools: The Sustainability Transition and Investment Planning Tools provide SMEs and their advisors with structured methodologies to plan and finance the shift toward sustainable business models.
4) STAGE Platform: The STAGE Platform is designed to connect SMEs, SAs, and investors in a single ecosystem. It integrates a broad set of functionalities: assessments, access to training modules, financial and investment planning tools, databases of enterprises, advisors and investors, and communication features to facilitate collaboration and matchmaking.
5) Information databases: The STAGE has generated comprehensive datasets of enterprises, sustainability advisors, and investors, each forming a core intangible asset of the ecosystem.
Based on the STAGE Exploitation plan, the main STAGE KER (STAGE Platform) will be commercialized (remaining free for the SMEs and the SAs) and the STAGE Business Plan focused on the Go-to-Market. For each partner and for each KER, the individual exploitation pathways for the post-project period have been defined.
1) Innovation and Sustainability assessment tools: These tools - Initial Assessment, Performance Assessment, Carbon Footprint Assessment, and EU Taxonomy Assessment – are designed to help SMEs evaluate their current sustainability status, identify gaps, and define actionable roadmaps for transition.
2) Decentralized sustainability training courses: The STAGE Academy consists of 48 training modules structured across 4 thematic pillars: Product Development, Sustainability Enablers, Production Sustainability, and Business Strategy.
3) Sustainability Transition and Investment planning tools: The Sustainability Transition and Investment Planning Tools provide SMEs and their advisors with structured methodologies to plan and finance the shift toward sustainable business models.
4) STAGE Platform: The STAGE Platform is designed to connect SMEs, SAs, and investors in a single ecosystem. It integrates a broad set of functionalities: assessments, access to training modules, financial and investment planning tools, databases of enterprises, advisors and investors, and communication features to facilitate collaboration and matchmaking.
5) Information databases: The STAGE has generated comprehensive datasets of enterprises, sustainability advisors, and investors, each forming a core intangible asset of the ecosystem.
Based on the STAGE Exploitation plan, the main STAGE KER (STAGE Platform) will be commercialized (remaining free for the SMEs and the SAs) and the STAGE Business Plan focused on the Go-to-Market. For each partner and for each KER, the individual exploitation pathways for the post-project period have been defined.