BSN Anatolia supports to increase the innovation management capacities of SMEs

Project Information

BSNinnoSME

Grant agreement ID: 643357

DOI

10.3030/643357

Project closed

EC signature date 18 December 2014

Start date 1 July 2014

End date 31 December 2014

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 36 198,00

EU contribution

€ 36 198,00

Coordinated by

KOSGEB-KUCUK VE ORTA OLCEKLI ISLETMELERI GELISTIRME VE DESTEKLEME IDARESI BASKANLIGI
Türkiye

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BSNinnoSME (BSN Anatolia supports to increase the innovation management capacities of SMEs)

Reporting period: 2014-07-01 to 2014-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

BSNinnoSME project addresses the action for “Establishing services “Enhancing the Innovation management capacity of SMEs” in the Enterprise Europe Network” to improve the innovation management capacity of SMEs.

The main objectives of the BSNinnoSME are clarified as below;
• Supporting ambitious, skilled and innovative SMEs to exploit their innovative ideas profitably in the international markets and supporting specifically SMEs with high international growth potential and innovation
• Managing innovation process efficiently and enhancing innovation management capacity of
SMEs
• Providing an innovation management system which not only includes the innovation process mapping from idea to result, but also leadership, management and co-operation strategies.
• Providing specialized and one to one services like creating an action plan and business model.
• Providing SMEs with in depth analysis of their innovation management, investigating possible gaps between innovation capabilities and innovation goals.

Two main services “Key Account Management” and “Enhancing SMEs Innovation Management Capacities” services has been implemented to achieve the objectives of the project.

Specific objectives of “Key Account Management Services”;

• Identifying and reporting the innovation capacities of the SMEs, realizing the growth potential and economic impact on a global scale.
• Identifying bottlenecks to the creation of economic impact in companies benefitting from grants by Horizon2020's SME instrument and addressing these bottlenecks with the help of capable coaches.
• Identifying barriers that are present in the business plan developed by the SME.

Specific objectives of “Enhancing SMEs Innovation Management Capacities” Services;

• Enhancing SMEs innovation management capacities with a diagnostic audit.
• Giving the SMEs a know-how and ability to management innovation processes in the future.
• Increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of innovation processes in small and medium sized enterprises with significant innovation activities that could potentially become beneficiaries of European support to research and innovation but would not have effective access to consulting services for innovation management.
• Gaining and exploiting know-how on innovation management throughout the project.
BSN Anatolia consortium had planned to propose 16 service packages but as a result BSN Anatolia has offered 8 Enhancing SMEs Innovation Management Capacities services and 1 Key Account Management Service. The consortium could not achieve the proposed number of services during the project because of delays in the grant agreement phase.

The new services has been implemented by innovation experts of ODTU TEKNOKENT and TTGV for the transition period in 2014 and other partners of BSN Anatolia Consortia were responsible from attracting motivated SMEs with a high potential in innovation and internationalization and SME Instrument Beneficiaries to participate SME instrument of H2020.
Enhancing SMEs’ innovation management capacity service package has been offered to SME’s with high innovation and export potential. These SMEs were selected on the region of BSN Anatolia, 7 SMEs were from Ankara and 1 SME which is motivated by a partner of BSN Anatolia, Konya Chamber of Industry, was from Konya

Key account management service for SME Instrument beneficiaries been given to one SME in Ankara. Beneficiaries list of SME Instrument Tool in the region has been taken form NCP of Turkey TUBITAK.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Work package number: 1
Work package title: “Key account management” for the beneficiaries of the SME Instrument
Participants: KOSGEB, ODTU Teknokent and TTGV
Work performed and main results: During the 2014 period, one SME from BSN-Anatolia region became a beneficiary of the 1st phase of the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument. KOSGEB had zero person/day while ODTU Teknokent and TTGV had 2,5 person/day each. Due to the fact that only one SME Instrument beneficiary has been announced, ODTU Teknokent accomplished the 2,5 day work package in 2014.
During the reporting period, SME’s need analysis has been accomplished with the Business Innovation Tree and Life-Cycle Methodologies provided by SMEMPOWER. An outcome and need analysis has reported to the company and the company’s strategic needs coach selection has been done accordingly. The Improve Methodology has not been implemented to the SME Beneficiary because the beneficiary was a micro-SME with one employee. After four potential coach selections, several Skype meetings were held. The best fit coach has been selected and coaching plan has been delivered to the European Commission.
For work package 1, apart from the Key Account Management activities, the consortium was in close contact with the NCP’s. SME Instrument beneficiaries and SME Instrument applicants were closely monitored, informed about the future cut-off dates. Their Phase 1 proposals have been read and feedbacks were given.
Main results: The SME Instrument beneficiary has been detected as a “Pre-industrialized company” at “Seed-stage”, the company is targeting an “Upscaling stage”. Main gaps were detected in market placement, marketing, commercialization, medical device regulatories for European Countries and contacting Business Angels and Venture Capitals. Therefore a coach specialized in strategy enhancement activities, merge and acquisitions, funding, and entrepreneur coaching has been chosen. The coaching plan has not been implemented yet due to the delays in the contracting period between the European Commision and the coach.

Work package number: 2
Work package title: “Enhancing SME innovation management capacity” for innovating SME independently from a specific project
Participants: KOSGEB, ODTU Teknokent and TTGV
Work performed and main results: For the 2014 BSNinnoSME project, two work packages for KOSGEB, six work packages for ODTU Teknokent and six work packages for TTGV had been planned and the Improve methodology had been proposed However, due to the delay of the project start and lack of Improve license numbers, only ODTU Teknokent and TTGV were able to receive the “Introduction to Improve Approach” training held on 22.09.2014 in İstanbul, Sabanci University. Moreover, ODTU Teknokent and TTGV have participated in the “Improve Innovation Management Consulting” training held in Berlin during the dates 24.12.2014-25.12.2014. During the 1.9.2014 - 31.12.2014 period TTGV and ODTU Teknokent have accomplished four work packages each. A total of eight work packages and 56 person/days have been completed.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

There are several national programmes accross Europe that have the aim to develop the innovation capacity of the SMEs and competitiveness of the SME based on innovation. National innovation programmes are very project focused and tend to be based on consultation over a longer period of time. Innovation programmes are focused on technology and employ their consultants on the basis of their technological knowledge. Commercialisation of the results of the project is not considered.
National innovation strategy development programmes are more open and flexible and are based on consultancy . The approach is problem/solution focused and based on trust and relationships built over a longer period of time.

The services offered by BSNinnoSME Project are more result oriented and easy to implement in a short period of time. In this sense, these two services offered in BSNinnoSME project seem to be more intensive than the services offed nationally through European countries. Supporting SMEs through these sevices have three main purposes growth in innovation capacity, implementing a strategy in innovation management and commercialization of the result of SME instrument tool project.
The services implemented in this project helped SME in 4 main directions. These directions and the sup-elements the SMEs need to improve itself to achieve better innovation capacity is listed below:
A) Setting Direction
1. Seeing the Big Picture
2. Changing and Improving
3. Making Effective Decisions
B) Engaging People
4. Leading and Communicating
5. Collaboration and Partnering
6. Building Capability for all
C) Delivering Results
7. Achieving Commercial Outcomes
8. Delivering Value for Money
9. Managing a Quality Service
10. Delivering at Pace
11. Embedding cultural change
D) Outcome Impact
12. Outcome Initiative
13. Collaboration
14. Influence of Implementation
15. Impact on Performance

Since the service is given by BSN Anatolia Members, BSN and EEN logo is used