Periodic Reporting for period 1 - IB INNO (Illes Balears INNOvation Management Services)
Reporting period: 2015-06-01 to 2016-12-31
The context of the action is the establishment of a new Enterprise Europe Network Consortium in the Balearic Islands area for the period 2015-2020. The overall IB INNO project objective is the establishment of a feasible and effective service for enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs in the Balearic Islands region. This will benefit the smart growth in the European Union by increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of investments in research, development and innovation and by contributing to a better and more efficient connection of stakeholders in the innovation fabric.
IBINNO has been in 2015-2016 an access point to the innovation and internationalisation system in the Balearic Islands region, which will be in this new period covered by Balearic Islands Enterprise Network B2EN Consortium, embedding the Enterprise Europe Network innovation services in the regional innovation ecosystem. In fact, the only partner involved in this action has been FUNDACIÓ BIT.
IBINNO has tackled two different challenges, with the following scopes of action:
• Horizon2020's SME Instrument specific innovation project beneficiaries. The Consortium has identified bottlenecks to the creation of economic impact in companies benefitting from grants by Horizon2020's SME instrument within the Balearic Islands region, and address these blockages with the help of capable coaches.
• Enhancing SMEs innovation management capabilities. The Consortium has worked on increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of innovation processes in SMEs with significant innovation activities within the Balearic Islands region, which will be the beneficiaries of this European support to research and innovation action but do not actually have access to consulting services for innovation management. This service, provided independently from a specific innovation project and focussing on a company's innovation management system, is called “Enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs”.
In the present project, the Consortium has designed, developed and executed the two types of services/ scopes of action explained above based on the assessment of the current status of innovation management in the client company.
IBINNO has been in 2015-2016 an access point to the innovation and internationalisation system in the Balearic Islands region, which will be in this new period covered by Balearic Islands Enterprise Network B2EN Consortium, embedding the Enterprise Europe Network innovation services in the regional innovation ecosystem. In fact, the only partner involved in this action has been FUNDACIÓ BIT.
IBINNO has tackled two different challenges, with the following scopes of action:
• Horizon2020's SME Instrument specific innovation project beneficiaries. The Consortium has identified bottlenecks to the creation of economic impact in companies benefitting from grants by Horizon2020's SME instrument within the Balearic Islands region, and address these blockages with the help of capable coaches.
• Enhancing SMEs innovation management capabilities. The Consortium has worked on increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of innovation processes in SMEs with significant innovation activities within the Balearic Islands region, which will be the beneficiaries of this European support to research and innovation action but do not actually have access to consulting services for innovation management. This service, provided independently from a specific innovation project and focussing on a company's innovation management system, is called “Enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs”.
In the present project, the Consortium has designed, developed and executed the two types of services/ scopes of action explained above based on the assessment of the current status of innovation management in the client company.
Under the work package WP1 “Key account management” for the beneficiaries of the SME instrument, IBINNO project has delivered a service pack to the only one SME in Balearic Islands awarded with the SME Instrument (most specifically in 2015, for phase I), as coaching and the associated Key Account Management is only available in this IBINNO project to SMEs who have successfully passed the evaluation procedure for innovation projects supported by the SME Instrument under Horizon 2020 and are participating in phase I and/ or phase II of the SME Instrument.
Under the work package WP2 “Enhancing SME innovation management capacity” for innovating SME independently from a specific project, IBINNO project has delivered service packs to eight SMEs, reaching the ultimate objective of building a tailored development plan to enhance their capacity to better manage innovation. Three of these service packages has been part of the continuation of the services which started in the previous period 2014 and which due to time constraints were not completed (i.e. the support to the implementation of the agreed action plan).
Under the work package WP2 “Enhancing SME innovation management capacity” for innovating SME independently from a specific project, IBINNO project has delivered service packs to eight SMEs, reaching the ultimate objective of building a tailored development plan to enhance their capacity to better manage innovation. Three of these service packages has been part of the continuation of the services which started in the previous period 2014 and which due to time constraints were not completed (i.e. the support to the implementation of the agreed action plan).
The expected potential impact of the results of this action on the SMEs that have been serviced is estimated to be related to promoting growth and strengthening the competitiveness and sustainability of this SMEs.
It is not easy to measure the expected impact, as it will vary from one SME to another, and can involve one or multiple aspects, but these indicators can be used to have an approximation:
• Market improvement or results, such as an increase in market share or turnover.
• Cost savings, such as the cost of material, energy or labour inputs, linked to products or services from the SME.
• Organically job creation or maintenance.
• Quality improvement: quality of goods and services, the satisfaction of clients or business partners, or the improvement of the company's environmental record, working conditions, or health and safety standards.
• Innovation, such as embracing an innovation or an innovative technology or process, or by improving its innovation strategy or innovation (management) capacities.
In relation to COSME programme, five of the SMEs are receiving in parallel some of the COSME programme services, such as advisory services and partnering services.
The objective in the Implementation Strategy related to this action which is the establishment of a feasible and effective service for enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs in the Balearic Islands region is being successfully accomplished. IBINNO Consortium is acting as the access point to the innovation and internationalisation system in the Balearic Islands region, embedding the Enterprise Europe Network innovation services in the regional innovation ecosystem.
It is not easy to measure the expected impact, as it will vary from one SME to another, and can involve one or multiple aspects, but these indicators can be used to have an approximation:
• Market improvement or results, such as an increase in market share or turnover.
• Cost savings, such as the cost of material, energy or labour inputs, linked to products or services from the SME.
• Organically job creation or maintenance.
• Quality improvement: quality of goods and services, the satisfaction of clients or business partners, or the improvement of the company's environmental record, working conditions, or health and safety standards.
• Innovation, such as embracing an innovation or an innovative technology or process, or by improving its innovation strategy or innovation (management) capacities.
In relation to COSME programme, five of the SMEs are receiving in parallel some of the COSME programme services, such as advisory services and partnering services.
The objective in the Implementation Strategy related to this action which is the establishment of a feasible and effective service for enhancing the innovation management capacity of SMEs in the Balearic Islands region is being successfully accomplished. IBINNO Consortium is acting as the access point to the innovation and internationalisation system in the Balearic Islands region, embedding the Enterprise Europe Network innovation services in the regional innovation ecosystem.