AURASME

Project Information

AURASME

Grant agreement ID: 674850

DOI

10.3030/674850

Project closed

EC signature date 27 August 2015

Start date 1 January 2015

End date 31 December 2016

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 285 385,00

EU contribution

€ 285 384,75

Coordinated by

CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE ET D'INDUSTRIEDE REGION AUVERGNE-RHONE-ALPES
France

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - AURASME (AURASME)

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

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The Consortium AURASME successfully implemented specific support services to help high potential SMEs to improve Innovation Management Capacity and increase efficiency in SME projects and foster their impact.
However, due to several circumstances, specially turnover, the forecast objectives for EIMC were only partially achieved but partners have already taken measures in order to avoid this problem and improve in the next program. EIMC services require very high qualifications and a specific training to the Check innov tool. All the staff has already been trained and several cases are already ongoing in the actual period.
Concerning the KAM, the Consortium provide the service to all the beneficiaries in our region. Clients are very satisfied with the service. Some events with beneficiaries were organized by the partners in order to raise awareness, share experiences and facilitate the access to potential new beneficiaries.

The Consortium AURASME has the following particularities:
- Strong experience and solid know-how of the staff allow the implementation of these high added value services and an accurate selection of SMEs.
- The tool Checkinnov, developed by the former partner 4 (now P1 CCIR Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) was positively evaluated by the Agency (from the pilot action in 2014), the consortium and many French Enterprise Europe Network partners and clients in terms of efficiency and accuracy. The tool and methodology is also implemented by several Consortia in France and a community of practice was set up.
- Coordination and exchange of experiences within the consortium and the Network and with Stakeholders in innovation in the region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The Consortium is also in the process of integrating the EIMC service in several regional support schemes.
- Strong link with Enterprise Europe Network COSME has been set up in particular for the first contact and the promotion of the action: events and communication support... For instance, some beneficiaries of the SME Instrument participated in the brokerage event Green Days in order to find partners.
In the short term, the impact of this action is to raise awareness of companies on innovation management capacity and foster the success of the SME instrument projects. The long term impact for SMEs is still difficult to measure. However, companies have shown a great interest and motivation, and the Consortium will continue to follow this impact in the next program.

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

The Consortium AURASME closed 26 cases during this period: 8 KAM and 18 Enhance Innovation Management Capacities.
The methodology and different steps described in the proposal has been implemented successfully.
The Consortium addressed 16 beneficiaries of SME Instrument representing 19 projects in Rhône-Alpes but none in Auvergne.
Concerning Enhance Innovation Management, all the SMEs supported have been assessed. For some of them, an action plan was set up and the full service was provided or signposted. Specific services have been identified and set up like creativity, knowledge management, technology watch, intellectual property management, business development... However, due to the lack of availability of several companies’ CEOs all of the services could not be implemented in some cases within this program. Their implementation will continue in the next period.

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 Consortium AURASME planned to achieve 91 packages and finally 26 cases were closed (8 KAM & 18 EIMC) and 29 were engaged but not finished.

Due to the following circumstances the forecast objectives have not been completely reached:
- Turnover for most of the partners
- Time to train the new staff create a delay in the implementation of the service
- Difficulty to integrate the EIMC service in the regional support service scheme in Rhône-Alpes

However, many packages and contacts initiated in 2015-2016 will continue in the frame of the actual proposal.

The Consortium AURASME chose to plan optimistic results on KAM due to the high number of innovative companies in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Unfortunately, few of them were granted. Partners set up specific services within COSME program in order to help SMEs in the preparation of their proposal, for instance a strong link with NCP SME was set up in order to provide advice, and workshops were set up with dedicated services (brainstorming, market analysis, review of the proposal by experts…)

It is difficult to measure yet the impact, however most of the companies involved have shown great interest in the action and are very committed and satisfied with the support provided.

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