INnovation CApacities of Mediterranean Enterprises

Project Information

INCAME-2

Grant agreement ID: 674189

DOI

10.3030/674189

Project closed

EC signature date 2 July 2015

Start date 1 January 2015

End date 31 December 2016

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 687 376,50

EU contribution

€ 687 376,49

Coordinated by

S. I. IMPRESA (SERVIZI INTEGRATI IMPRESA)
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - INCAME-2 (INnovation CApacities of Mediterranean Enterprises)

Reporting period: 2015-01-01 to 2016-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

As far as concerns the Consortium as a whole, the aim was mainly to provide support to bridge the differences in terms of capacity to manage innovation processes through a support for increase expertise internal to companies, to acquire greater awareness of the international market in terms of barriers, competition, intellectual property protection and accelerating the process of growth thanks to access to European funding for innovation and competitiveness mainly those in the framework of H2020 program.
From most of partners, strong actions to promote both the activities related to the SME-Instrument and to EIMC have been carried out. The staff of the host organizations involved in the EEN activities has taken part in courses, working groups and trainings as:
• Centralised Network trainings PUMP UP THE KAM Bruxelles 28 29 June 2016;
• Working Group KAM e EIMC 19-05-2016 Milan;
• EXPERIENCE SHARING Innovation Needs Analysis and Coach Selection ROME 6-7 OCTOBER 2015-09-09;
• Decentralised training - IMP3rove - Introduction to Action Plan Development – 18-19 April 2016 Palermo Consorzio Arca.
Any initiative to inform, raise awareness and support companies was carried out by the consortium partners with the aim of making known the H2020 Program to companies and SMEs, informing on how to participate and providing support, in order to have a greater number of participating companies and consequently more KAM cases in perspective.
By way of example, P05 as far as concerns EIMC services, has sent “promotional” letters to the companies, to invite SMEs with a suitable target directly, to allow them to take advantage of the analysis of innovation management system, and of the production of personalized action plan. In the case of P08 and P13, the companies were contacted either by e-mail or telephone in order to promote directly the project and if necessary the service. P09 published in 2015 a specific “Call for expressions of interest concerning the EIMC service”. In the case of P10 a call to make appeal its services has been organized, offering with a small notice the consulting days of EEN, days that would still be free within EIMC / IS activities.

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 performed in the two years was in the first instance a preparatory work of information and awareness primarily for EIMC services and partly for those of KAM. The activities were integrated by follow-up and targeted interventions aimed at the individual firm. In the process of service delivery, activities have been implemented in accordance to the work program.
In terms of results obtained are noteworthy some cases that after the phase 1 applied with success in phase 2 obtaining a grant or in some case the seals of excellence.
All companies served with KAM and EIMC services have been properly registered to receive services related to COSME activities (drafting of technological offering profiles, involvement in B2B, CM or workshops, scouting, personalized audit, identification of alternative funding sources, etc..).
As far as concerns tools used by the Consortium for the delivery of the services, according to the characteristics and size of the company, together with the Intake Check used to get a picture of the specific company for the purposes of the assessment tool selection, two instruments were used:
1) the IMPR3OVE tool ""IMP³rove - European Innovation Management Academy"";
2) Innovation Health Check - questionnaire and evaluation platform were made available by the Enterprise Ireland EEN partner.
Downstream of the assessment activities have been defined the specific action plans for each company and, subsequently, were activated supports for the implementation of the action plans. Finally for each company was elaborated a report describing activities carried out and expected impacts.
"

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)

The activities have been carried out according to the aim of the IS specific for the 2 WPs and to COSME one. The strategy as a whole aimed at the implementation of actions and the provision of specialist services that can bridge the differences with similar companies in the most developed part of Italy and start the improvement and growth of the ability to face the challenges from management innovation in order to develop an adaptive strategy to cope with the rapid changes that the single market requires.
Synergies with actions under COSME have produced preparatory actions, to propose and deliver specialized services with the help of the EEN experts. In terms of expected impact all assisted companies expect to increase presence in the international market to enhance skills, to develop business models that speed up the internationalization process by eliminating differences with European competitors.
The potential impact on job created or maintained and the financial gain or saving allowed cannot be exactly estimated. However, the provision of the EIMC services should at least have allowed the preservation of the Clients’ status quo in terms of maintenance of employment levels and an increase in the Clients’ competitiveness thanks also to a greater awareness on innovation management and its importance. Since participation in the Instrument SME Instrument in the geographic area covered by Consortium, is not very high, the number of companies followed is contained. At the same time, in some cases the limited size and structure of the company’s’ organization and the consequent impossibility in applying analytical methods which require the presence of structured organizations with at least some component of R & D or marketing development made more difficult the selection of suitable companies to the provision of EIMC services
The number of SMEs supported overall is 122: 30 as KAM and 92 as EIMC.