All SME instrument beneficiaries in Madrid were contacted; A member of the EEN madrimasd analysis their needs and gaps, searched the coach database of the European Commissionto select the best coach matching their needs. This tutor, known as KAM, selected up to five expert coaches and helped the company in their selection.
The coach and the company worked together to improve their innovation management, to cover and address the needs previously recognised. After the coaching 50% of the companies submitted to SME instrument phase 2, also great feedback from the companies in relation to the coach work was collected.
For the services enhancing the innovation management capacity action, a new service, gain knowledge and expertise in the execution and the methodology (Improve assessment from AT Kearney) was the main work. EEN members involve attented training courses and an EEN decentralised peer on this new innovation services.
This learning process and first services pakage provision has shown Madrid’s consortium the importance of this tool potencial to increase innovation management, as a method of management and measure their innovation. It is important to highlight that in Spain ISO 9.001 quality assurance certification has a much higher market penetration that in any other European country, innovation management is still in a very early stage. Companies do not see innovation management or innovation caoching as a benefit for them. Nevertheless, already several companies have being contact and action plans provided.