Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EEN-Innovation PT (EEN-Innovation PT)
Période du rapport: 2015-01-01 au 2016-12-31
Consortium carried out 46% of the objectives outlined supporting 73 companies, through services provided to the beneficiaries of the SME Instrument - Key Account Management-KAM (mandatory) and services provided within the framework of the Enhancing Innovation Management Capacity of SME- EIMC, which objective was to focus on a specific innovation project and on a company's innovation management system. Although this numbers the consortium provide 144 services (91% of the objectives) , but they were not considered “completed cases” to this report.
The work of the consortium was developed under the terms of the work programme approved, both for the WP1 – Key Account Management and for WP2 – Enhancing Innovation Capacity of SME, and respected the principles of excellence, 'no wrong door' and proximity of services to SMEs, as well as the mechanisms of signposting and follow-up of target audience inside the Network.
The subsidiarity and additionally principles, as well as European added value are also key factors in the implementation of the actions that were carried out.
The work of the consortium was developed under the terms of the work programme approved, both for the WP1 – Key Account Management and for WP2 – Enhancing Innovation Capacity of SME, and respected the principles of excellence, 'no wrong door' and proximity of services to SMEs, as well as the mechanisms of signposting and follow-up of target audience inside the Network.
The subsidiarity and additionally principles, as well as European added value are also key factors in the implementation of the actions that were carried out.
Concerning WP1, 20 KAM (evaluated/closed) were provided as technically planned, that is, the bottlenecks to the creation of economic impact in the companies’ beneficiaries of grants from H2020 were identified and used to select suitable coaches (51 KAM services were provided but not all were considered to the report, as at the report date 31 were not closed at the casetracker platform). The higher number of KAM services provided covering a wide range of activity sectors, was a relevant challenge, that have pushed the consortium to develop and maintain a strong collaborative work, based on systematic knowledge pooling and sharing.
In the context of WP 2, 53 companies were supported in Enhancing Management Capacity with a completed report evaluated, although 93 were provided with EIMC services (Fig.1). These SMEs were selected either during the previous programme (2014) or through the partners' skills and relations with stakeholders, specific national programmes aimed to support highly potential innovation companies, as well as through the registry of EEN-PORTUGAL clients.
EIMC service was provided according to an average 7-day service package proposed, and included all deliverables mentioned, like an innovation management capacity assessment, a need analysis and the provision of targeted services to address identified gaps. The assessment was based on the Innovation Scoring, that meets the definition of innovation management and the elements of an innovation management system as defined in the CEN/TS 16555-1.
The majority of the companies which are beneficiaries of the KAM services were located in the centre and south of Portugal. On the contrary, the major number of EIMC services were provided in North of the Portugal.
In a holistic approach to the service supported by the Innovation PT consortium, we can conclude that most of the sectors focused on the different calls in the last two years had the participation of Portuguese companies.
We can verify a slight deviation between the numbers of services proposed and carried out (Fig. 2), which can be justified mainly by the specificity of the KAM service, the need for signposting of these companies to EEN-PORTUGAL as well as the service of accompanying Seal of Excellence companies that require rigorous technical work and are, therefore, very time consuming.
In the context of WP 2, 53 companies were supported in Enhancing Management Capacity with a completed report evaluated, although 93 were provided with EIMC services (Fig.1). These SMEs were selected either during the previous programme (2014) or through the partners' skills and relations with stakeholders, specific national programmes aimed to support highly potential innovation companies, as well as through the registry of EEN-PORTUGAL clients.
EIMC service was provided according to an average 7-day service package proposed, and included all deliverables mentioned, like an innovation management capacity assessment, a need analysis and the provision of targeted services to address identified gaps. The assessment was based on the Innovation Scoring, that meets the definition of innovation management and the elements of an innovation management system as defined in the CEN/TS 16555-1.
The majority of the companies which are beneficiaries of the KAM services were located in the centre and south of Portugal. On the contrary, the major number of EIMC services were provided in North of the Portugal.
In a holistic approach to the service supported by the Innovation PT consortium, we can conclude that most of the sectors focused on the different calls in the last two years had the participation of Portuguese companies.
We can verify a slight deviation between the numbers of services proposed and carried out (Fig. 2), which can be justified mainly by the specificity of the KAM service, the need for signposting of these companies to EEN-PORTUGAL as well as the service of accompanying Seal of Excellence companies that require rigorous technical work and are, therefore, very time consuming.
So far, the feedback received from SMEs beneficiaries of KAM services has been very positive, mainly concerning the help given by coaches for the business strategy development. We underline that the vast majority of SME beneficiaries of KAM services are in Phase 1 of SME Instrument and, thus, it is too early to evaluate the real impact in job creation, cost reduction or the openness of new markets. Nevertheless, we can already point out some examples: ANI gave EIMC support to Aveleda and WATT-IS and they became winners of Phase I projects. Also CEC supported TAKE THE WIND and the company was winner of Phase 1 and was later invited by the EASME/CE to be in WEB SUMMIT 2016. Xhockware is a startup which has been receiving support from the Network’s KAM services provider INESC TEC since 2015, the company has successfully moved from Phase I to Phase 2 of the SME Instrument. IAPMEI gave support to UBQ and BIOMIMETX under Phase 1 and the companies have successfully moved to Phase 2.
We consider that in general terms the proposal met the expectations created in companies by providing high quality consulting services, for the enhancement of innovation management capacities of the Portuguese SMES, namely the beneficiaries of Horizon 2020 SME Instrument and those with significant innovation activities and high potential for growth and internationalization.
We consider that in general terms the proposal met the expectations created in companies by providing high quality consulting services, for the enhancement of innovation management capacities of the Portuguese SMES, namely the beneficiaries of Horizon 2020 SME Instrument and those with significant innovation activities and high potential for growth and internationalization.